If I Should Lose You
by ncislove
Summary: Gibbs/Abby/Tony - don't like, don't read. Spoilers Hiatus through season 4 Driven.
1. Chapter 1

Title: If I Should Lose You, part 1/7  
>Author: <strong>ncis_love<strong>  
>Rating: NC-17 (There be sex. And lots of it).<br>Pairing: Abby/Gibbs, Abby/Tony, Gibbs/Abby/Tony  
>Category: Angst, Romance<br>Spoilers: Through, season 4 (mostly for Hiatus, Shalom, Escaped and Driven)  
>Summary: It isn't easy to say goodbye.<br>A/N: I wouldn't call it AU, though a few certain details were left out (Hollis, Jeanne). This is for my girls on twitter who have encouraged, hand-held, poked and prodded me to get this one done. Love to my ladies. Also for my flat!Boss. ;) Thanks for standing there and looking sexy, encouraging me with that 'knowing' smirk.

**Part One**

Abby kicked off her shoes just inside Gibbs' front door and juggled the pizza box from one hand to the other as she slipped out of her jacket. "Pizza!" She shouted, and carried it through to the kitchen, pulling out two plates and a handful of napkins.

She was headed out toward the living room, a DVD tucked under her arm, when Gibbs emerged from the basement. She leaned against him, mindful of her pizza, for a quick kiss and continued to the couch. She set her pizza down and circled around to the TV, setting up the DVD. It wasn't often she could get Gibbs to agree to a movie night, but every so often he gave in. So she picked up something historical (and not too long) and they cuddled up on the couch with pizza and beer.

"Good pizza." Gibbs dropped down to the couch beside her and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"I think we got extra pepperoni." Abby waited until Gibbs was comfortable before shifting closer to make it easy for Gibbs to slip an arm around her.

As soon as their pizza was gone, Abby snuggled into Gibbs' arms to watch the movie. Movie or not, these were her favorite moments spent with Gibbs. Half the time she drifted off before the movie was half over, safe and content in his arms, the sound of his heart beating steady under her ear. He teased her if she fell asleep – it was her idea to watch the movie, yet he was the only one to finish it.

"Abbs?" He asked as the credits started to roll.

"Hmm?" Abby's grip on him tightened and then relaxed.

His fingers pulled lightly through her hair and he smiled softly. It wasn't often that he saw her so quiet and relaxed. "You awake?"

"Yeah. Good movie."

"Liar. You slept through half of it."

"Seen it before. I know what happens."

He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head. "Why didn't you pick something you haven't seen?"

Abby stretched and shifted so that he head was resting on his lap. "Because I thought you might like it. Did you?"

"Yeah, not bad." It was his standard response to movies he'd enjoyed. He couldn't come up with running commentaries on titles the way Tony could, so he left those movie nights to Tony and Abby - refusing to see new movies with her at the theater. He had to draw the line somewhere.

"Good." Abby fought a yawn and then reached up to brush a bit of saw dust from Gibbs' hair. "Dirty, dirty boy," she scolded.

Gibbs arched an eyebrow at her, the side of his mouth curving up in a half smile. It was moments like this, just the two of them completely comfortable together; moments where all his other troubles and worries seemed to disappear. It was moments like this where he felt the strong urge to open up to Abby about all his secrets. He wanted to share everything with her, open his heart and trust her with everything he had, but just as he wanted to open his mouth and lay it all out on the table, his brain told him no. What if she felt like a replacement? What if she felt like he compared her to Shannon? All his other wives had been compared to her, and ultimately it was his fault the relationships had failed. But with Abby, things were different. He honestly didn't compare the two, and when he was with Abby, it was easy to forget – to hide those memories, store them in a box labeled 'fragile' and not look back. And the longer he waited, the easier it was to pretend that Shannon and Kelly never happened. Most of their stuff was in the attic, Kelly's room long ago turned into a study of sorts, and the rest of the memories were hidden away in the basement. "C'mon Abbs, let's call it a night."

"It's not that late," Abby protested.

"Abby…" He warned as she slowly sat up. Once she was sitting up again, he leaned in to nibble at her ear. "Call it a night down here. Don't have to go to sleep quite yet."

"Don't know if I can make it all the way upstairs." Abby turned slowly, pressing her face against his neck and she moved to straddle his lap. "Might be too weak," she brushed a soft kiss against his skin. "Might have to take me right here."

"Oh?" His hands moved to her hips and then butt, sliding up under her skirt, giving her curves a gentle squeeze. "You think you're more likely to make it up to bed _after_ I've had my way with you?"

Abby mumbled something against his collarbone between kisses but he couldn't quite understand. The moment her fingers started tugging at his zipper, he knew resisting her was a lost cause. So instead of working against her, Gibbs lifted his hips enough to push his pants down, groaning when Abby's hand immediately went to his cock. She giggled softly, sending a spark down his spine, and then kissed him, swallowing a second moan.

Working his fingers between her folds, he found her warm and wet and it took everything he had to resist pulling her on to him right then.

Instead he flicked a finger against her clit, gauging her response by the way her hand stalled on her upward pull as she continued to stroke him. As her thumb collected the pre-come, swirling it around the head of his cock, he decided that foreplay was for when he could stretch out on the bed and explore her at length, but sitting on a couch was a different matter. "Abbs," he growled. Guiding her hips directly above him, he helped her to lower herself over him; wrapping his arms tightly around her once she was fully seated. It was times like this that he was grateful for the little straps of lace she called underwear. It was easy to push aside and he didn't have to waste time in trying to get it off if he was in a hurry.

Abby pressed her forehead to his and squeezed her thighs against his. "I love this, feeling so connected to you." Her eyelids were heavy and her smile relaxed. "I love you."

It had taken him awhile to be able to say that he loved her - not that he wasn't sure, but the idea of putting it out there, saying the words, making it real, had frightened him. If their relationship was real, he could lose her. But he decided that the risks didn't outweigh the benefits. He pulled back slightly and tucked her hair back behind her ears, sweeping her bangs from her eyes. "Love you too."

They were still a moment longer before Abby decided she couldn't wait any longer. She rocked her hips against his, arching her back and leaning into him as he helped her to move.

"Feels so good…"

By the time they were done, Abby was a heap of exhausted limbs in Gibbs' lap. It wasn't the first time that they hadn't made the time to completely undress.

"Let's get up to bed." Gibbs kissed her temple and gave her thigh a gentle slap.

"Carry me?" Abby yawned. "I'm too weak to move. I'm still enjoying the post-orgasm haze. I won't make it." She giggled as Gibbs shifted her to the couch cushion beside him, rolling his eyes at her pleading smile.

"Enjoy the night on the couch." He bent to kiss her one more time as he pulled his pants back up and tucked himself away.

"Rude!" Abby held out a hand and let Gibbs pull her to her feet. "And just for that, I'm going to sleep with my cold toes against your legs."

"You always sleep with your cold toes against my legs," he nudged her toward the stairs and followed her up. They didn't spend every night together, but when they did, Gibbs always woke having rested a little better and felt more at ease with the world. There was nothing in the world like waking up with his raven-haired beauty curled up safely beside him.

Once they were upstairs, and under the sheets, Abby snuggled in close, wrapping an arm around him. "I don't know how I got to be so lucky, but whatever I did to deserve you… I'm glad I did it."

"Me too, Abbs. Me too." He never thought he would love again, his three failed marriages had him convinced that his happily ever after had escaped him. He was lost in thought, thinking of how if Abby hadn't had come to him, they might have never come together, when Abby's mouth descended over one of his nipples. "Jesus, Abbs!"

She giggled as she flattened her tongue over it, pushing a leg between his. "You kept your clothes on downstairs, I just wanted the chance to taste you." She moved slightly and pressed a kiss to the center of his chest. "That's all."

"Because you rushed me downstairs. If I remember correctly, I wanted to come up here and take things slow." Gibbs rolled over and pressed her down into the mattress. "But if we're tasting…"

The room was dark, but Abby could easily envision the boyish grin on his face before he lowered his head and nibbled along her spider web. "Giiiibbs," she twisted below him, giggling as his tongue traced over her tattoo. He always knew _just_ what to do to make her squirm. "Don't know what I'd do without you."

* * *

><p>Tony leaned against the doorframe in Abby's lab and watched as Abby rattled on and on about breaking her crime scene virginity. Gibbs, for the most part, let her rattle on, nodding when Abby glanced away from the computer to look at him. "…I mean, we've never had a crime scene in the squad room before. And Tony," she sent a smile in his direction, "let me take photos. Did you see my photos, Gibbs?"<p>

"I saw." Gibbs leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. "Good work, Abbs. See ya later." Gibbs gave Tony a friendly nod as he headed for the elevator. "Eight am tomorrow DiNozzo."

"Night boss!" Tony waited until Gibbs was out of earshot and then stepped further into the lab. "Aren't you headed home with the boss tonight?" He winked playfully at Abby, hoping that it covered any trace of jealousy.

"Not tonight. He's sitting in on some meeting between the director and SecNav. He'll need a hearty dose of boat and bourbon after that." Abby finished saving her files and then shut down her computer. "Want to grab a beer? Or we could pretend to be high-class and put party clothes on and go for cocktails. Or that new wine bar that went in across from the theater?"

"Pretend to be high-class? You know this Armani suit isn't for dress up." Tony straightened his tie and flashed his megawatt smile.

"So a beer at Joe's?" Abby slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her jacket.

"I'll meet you there." Tony let her walk ahead and switched off the lights behind them. He made sure she got to her car and took his time putting the key in the ignition and adjusting his mirrors so that he saw her pull out of her parking spot. Technically it wasn't his job, it never had been, but he couldn't help but feel protective over her. Not that Gibbs would care – they were all protective over Abby, and he was sure Gibbs appreciated it. Even McGee was protective of her, and they had dated way back, once upon a time.

Gibbs had nothing to be jealous about. Even if McGee still held on to the idea of resurrecting his relationship with Abby, there was no reason for Gibbs to be worried. It was clear Abby only had eyes for him.

It was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, Tony knew he didn't have a chance with Abby, and being so certain that nothing would ever happen was reassuring. Knowing he couldn't be with Abby put him at ease – he didn't have to be someone he wasn't, he didn't need to try and impress her. She knew the real Tony, she knew his flaws and she didn't care. And on the other hand, it wasn't easy to sit back and watch the woman that he was in love with be happy with someone else. With someone he was… if he drank alone and really thought about it… with some he was mildly attracted to. When she had dated McGee, he hadn't been jealous. Not very much. He didn't want what she and McGee had – it had been more serious for him than it had been for her. He wanted the fun, but more than that, he wanted someone to look at him the way she looked at Gibbs. And then, even deeper in the dark recesses of his mind there was something about the two of them – both Gibbs and Abby – together that sparked something beyond jealousy in Tony. Curiosity, perhaps.

But above what he wanted for himself, he wanted Abby to be happy. If that meant she was happy with their boss, then he was okay with that.

Tony pulled into the parking lot outside their favorite dive bar and smiled when he saw Abby waiting just outside the front door.

"Hey stranger, looking for a cheap date?"

Tony whistled appreciatively at her. "You know it, baby," he grinned and held open the door, ushering her inside. "So how cheap are you? Should I order you an ice water?"

"Ha!" Abby slid into a seat at the bar. She ordered them each a beer and a basket of fries to share.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me."

"Mm, is it the fries? Am I trying too hard?" Abby took a long sip of the beer the bartender set in front of her. "I'll let you pay. Will that even things out?"

Tony laughed and touched the rim of his beer bottle to hers. "Such a scam artist."

"So, did you think Ziva killed Brian Dempsey?"

"You know… if we hadn't been in NCIS, I'd have considered it as a real possibility. But even I have to admit that our little ninja has changed. A little. I don't think she'd kill someone at work unless it was a do-or-die situation. And we all know Dempsey didn't have a gun or anything. So, nah. I knew she didn't do it. Was slightly amusing to watch her sweat it out though."

"Tony!" Abby smacked his arm. "She could've been in a lot of trouble!"

"But she wasn't. She's fine. She's innocent. We all believe her. But, ugh," Tony shivered. "I can't believe I tied a dead guy to a steering wheel. I think that might have to go down as one of the weirdest things ever during a case."

Abby nodded. "The plague was pretty weird, too. I mean, who gets the plague?"

"I do."

"But that's more medically weird. Tying a dead body to a steering wheel was probably top of the list. Was he stiff?" She took another swig of her beer.

"Abby!"

"What..? I'm just curious. I've never tied a dead body to anything before."

Tony shook off the thought. "We're done with this conversation."

"Fine.," She pouted. "So what's new? I feel like I haven't seen you much outside of work lately. Everything okay? Any special ladies I need to do a background search on?"

"Nah," he laughed. "You said so yourself, you haven't seen me much outside of work. It's not because I'm busy with a social life outside of work. We've been working six days a week lately. Aren't we about due a weekend off? Can't you put a word in with the boss. I'm assuming you've got at least a _little_ pull."

Abby shrugged casually. "We've got to figure out what the deal with Galib is, then Gibbs mentioned something about some time off. I'll see what I can do."

"Sure he doesn't want to pass that case on to Johnson's team?"

"I tried, believe me. I'm not an agent and even I'm tired of all these cases. He promised me though, we'll get some time off after we wrap up with terrorist plot that we got tipped on. He might've said something about a three-day weekend."

"I will love you, _and _him forever for three days in a row off. Like, not on call, not anything. Three days of… nothing but sleeping in, going out and having fun."

Abby raised her beer. "Amen."

* * *

><p>The moment she woke up, she knew the day wasn't going to end well. She rolled over and buried into the arms that were wrapped around her, thankful that he wasn't yet awake. She didn't know what it was, but something told her to hold on to him as tightly as possible. When the alarm went off eight minutes later, she was feeling no more relaxed. "We have to go in today?"<p>

"Yeah." Gibbs stretched and then pulled Abby over his chest. "Shouldn't be too busy in your lab today. I'll take you to lunch. You're on your own for dinner tonight. I'm meeting with Galib."

"Where at?"

"Abbs…" He'd already told her twice that he couldn't tell her.

"I know. Please tell me the team is going with you?"

"They'll be nearby, I promise. I'll be wired. They'll know if anything goes wrong." He brushed the hair from her face. "You trust them to have my back, don't you?"

"Will they be close enough to make a difference? You know I trust them, it's Galib that I don't trust. Will you at least wear your vest? Please? For me?"

Gibbs leaned in for a tender kiss. "Anything for you."

* * *

><p>"But you're confusing me, and I saw the DVD twice." McGee folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the back seat of the car.<p>

"The Sound of Music confuses you, McProbester. Anyway, Zee-vah, The Usual Suspects stars Kevin Spacey and Benicio Del Toro… how can you go wrong with Benicio Del Toro-"

"I enjoy The Sound of Music. I-" She opened her mouth to sing when Tony clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Don't make me sing 'It's a Small World.' I know what that song does to people. Anyway, where was I? Oh, Benicio Del Toro and the rest of the cast."

"Shouldn't we have heard from Gibbs by now?" Ziva asked, ignoring Tony's running commentary on The Usual Suspects.

"He said he'd call, but anyway, in the movie-" A large blast had the three agents ducking for cover despite the fact that they were parked more than a mile from the marina where the large ship was docked.

"I don't think we need to wait for a call anymore. Go!" McGee shouted from the back seat.

Tony put the car in drive and pressed hard on the gas.

* * *

><p>Jennifer Shepard's heels clicked loudly on the tiled floor as she approached the nurse's station. "Condition of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs." She pulled out her NCIS I.D. card and held it out for the nurse.<p>

"He's unconscious at the moment. It's all I can really say." The nurse waved the I.D. card away and turned back to the files she was reading.

"I need to see him."

"I'm sorry; we don't allow visitors in the trauma ward. You'll need to wait. Medical personnel only," she motioned to the waiting area.

Jenny looked back over her shoulder at the large group of people waiting for news on their loved ones. "I just left a dinner at the White House to be here. I don't think you understand."

"I'm impressed. But you'll still have to wait."

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this." Jenny glared at the nurse and dug her cell phone from her small purse and dialed a familiar number. "Hello, Condi… I need a favor." She handed the cell phone to the nurse and watched as the woman's eyes narrowed and then went wide. Suddenly the nurse was handing back her cellphone and without a word buzzed her back into the trauma ward.

Just as the trauma ward doors closed, the front doors opened again and Abby rushed in. She ignored the looks of the people in the waiting room, her party outfit causing most people to stare. "Oh my God, I knew something like this would happen. I mean, I got the call from McGee, and I had to get here as soon as possible," she dug through her purse in search of her I.D. "But then my hearse got a flat tire and I had to take a cab from DC to Norfolk, and…" Unable to locate her I.D. Abby dumped the contents of her purse on the counter at the nurses' station. Spotting her I.D. she handed it to the nurse and pushed the rest of the contents back in her purse. "And I knew something was going to go wrong today, I could feel it." She looked up when the nurse pressed the button to allow her back into the trauma ward. "You're a really, really good person," she said before rushing down the hall.

"Abby…" Jenny reached out a hand to the black haired woman.

"Oh God, he's not…"

"No no, he's not. The doctors are with him now." Jenny watched as Abby began to pace, twisting her fingers together nervously. It was clear that the feelings between them ran deeper than she had expected, but at the same time, she couldn't quite tell just how deep.

Just then a doctor stepped into the hallway, putting a stop to Abby's pacing. "We'll be moving him into a room upstairs. He's critical, but stable."

"He'll be okay. He's always okay."

"Shh, Abby. Let the doctor speak." Jenny quieted her.

"I'm a very positive person, so I would like to think the best. But until he wakes up, we've no idea for sure what sort of brain damage could've occurred. I can assure you though; he will receive the best possible care." The doctor waved them out of the way as Gibbs' bed was wheeled from his room. "You can follow him up. I'll be up in an hour or so to check on his condition."

Abby watched with tears in her eyes as Gibbs was wheeled past. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to tell him that she would be there for him no matter what, and that everything would be okay. But she feared hurting him, almost more than losing him.

"Let's go." Jenny directed Abby to follow.

Once in Gibbs' room, Abby sat quietly by his bedside, her fingers wrapped around his, thankful that they managed to escape harm from the explosion. She was aware of Jenny standing opposite of her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at her, or listen to what she said.

Eventually Jenny moved away, turning toward the window, the pouring rain emphasizing the dark and dreary atmosphere in the hospital room. Her phone vibrated in her purse, and she pulled it out to find Tony's name flashing on the screen.

It was easy for Abby to hear Tony's voice on the other end of the line and she knew he was calling for an update on Gibbs. She didn't blame him, didn't blame anyone for not being able to prevent it, but she knew he would blame himself as the senior agent for not being able to somehow stop it. She let her eyes settle on Gibbs' face, tuning out the conversation Jenny had with Tony. His eyes were twitching, and she wondered why he hadn't woken up yet.

* * *

><p><em>Gibbs smiled warmly at his little girl.<em>

"_I'll miss you daddy, I'll miss you so much!"_

"_I know princess. I'll miss you too. I love you."_

"_Love you too, daddy."_

_Standing to look at his wife, he can easily read the pain she has hidden from their daughter. _

"_We've said it all before."_

"_I wanna hear it again," she says sternly._

"_I will take care, I will come back safe," he recites. It's something she's made him promise nightly since they'd learned of his deployment._

"_Not those words."_

"_I love you," he smiles._

* * *

><p>As the days began to bleed into one another, Jenny spent the majority of the day in the hospital. She knew Abby was torn between wanting to stay with Gibbs and wanting to be in her lab to figure out who had created this mess. They often passed in the hallway, Jenny headed home for the night, and Abby arriving to curl up in a chair by his bedside. She still hadn't asked Abby if there was something she needed to note in their personal files, but she figured the hospital wasn't the right time, nor place to ask. After discovering that the neurologist was the same man to have treated him back in 1991, Jenny had begun to learn bits and pieces of his past.<p>

"It was the same back then. We couldn't find any medical reason for him not to wake up. Just seems as though some patients don't want to wake up. Something is holding him back. At this point, there isn't anything we can do."

"But is he in any pain? He looks like he is."

"Emotionally, I'm sure. I would call it more of a look of anguish. We've put on a topical pain reliever on the burns but I don't want to give him anything stronger as it could keep him from waking up."

"I understand," Jenny nodded. She drained her coffee. "Suppose I should go back in to check on him, not that anything has changed."

"I'll be up to look in on him shortly."

As Jenny approached Gibbs' room she heard voices talking. When she saw Abby, her first thought was that she was talking to Gibbs. But as she stepped in the room she saw a man she didn't recognize. "And you are…?" Her gaze turned to Abby. Her eyes were red and it was obvious she had been crying. "What's going on here?" The monitors told her there had been no change.

"Mike Franks. Retired NIS agent. Jethro worked for me."

The name sounded familiar and she shook his extended hand. "Director Jennifer Shepard, NCIS."

"A woman, director, huh?" Mike chuckled. "Things sure have changed, haven't they?"

"They have."

"I was just telling this lovely young woman a bit more about his past. Seems like he hasn't been the most fourth-coming."

"He was married, director." Abby looked at her sadly.

"That's no secret. He's been divorced three times. You know that." She looked from Abby to Mike Franks and back again.

"No, before that," Abby whispered

"Married to a pretty woman named Shannon." He unfolded a tattered old newspaper article and handed it to her. "They had a girl together. He was away, fighting over in Kuwait when they were killed. Shannon had witnessed a drug deal, and… well… An NIS agent was driving them to a safe house, but he was killed by a sniper. They didn't survive the car accident."

Suddenly it all made sense to her. How he'd failed three marriages. How he'd been so protective of her during their relationship. Why he threw himself into work and had little life away from NCIS.

"He doesn't want to wake up because he wants to be with them." Abby's voice was so small and fragile sounding it caused both Mike and Jenny to stop and look at her. "He's dreaming about _them_." She pointed to his eyes as they moved rapidly under his closed eyelids. "I can tell."

The three of them sat quietly in his room until it grew dark outside and the nurse asked them to leave. Rather than fight to stay the night, Abby simply nodded and left.

"Go home and get some sleep, Abby."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

><p>"Well, I consider us to be good friends, but I know little about his life before NCIS." Ducky titled his head as he tried to think over what he knew about Gibbs. Abby had been needed in the lab, so he had promised to keep Gibbs company in her absence. He and the neurologist were standing at the foot of his bed, discussing the events of 1991, and how it could have been brought up again with a head trauma. "I just wish I knew exactly what happened so that I could better help him to deal with whatever is going on in his brain."<p>

"Understandable, I-"

The doctor was cut off when Gibbs' suddenly arched his back, his eyes wide as he tried to scream around the respirator tube helping him to breath. Seeing that he would only fight it, the doctor did his best to remove it quickly, switching to a more comfortable nasal cannula.

"You're in the hospital, it's alright. I'm Dr. Gelfand, Chief Neurologist, but look here," the doctor motioned toward Ducky at the end of the bed. "You know Dr. Mallard."

"He calls me Ducky. Welcome back, Jethro. We've all be a bit concerned. You shouldn't frighten us like this." Ducky smiled warmly, relieved to see his friend awake.

"Where am I?"

"You were in an explosion. It's okay; most patients that go through such a trauma don't remember what brought them here. That fact that you're awake and talking is a wonderful sign. You'll be 100% in no time at all."

"I… I don't know him," Gibbs pointed toward Ducky, a look of confusion on his face. "I need Shannon, where's Shannon?"

Ducky's eyes grew wide. Abby had tearfully filled him in on what Mike had told her about his late wife and daughter. "Jethro…" He cleared his throat. "You lost them… quite some time ago. It's 2006 now."

"No… no no no…" Gibbs pulled back the blankets in an attempt to get up.

"Probie!" Mike's sharp voice cut through the commotion and Gibbs froze. "You're in no state to go anywhere. Lay back and relax."

Ducky watched curiously as Gibbs did what he was told. "I'm Dr. Mallard… Ducky."

"Franks, Mike Franks. Retired NIS. You?"

"M.E. for NCIS." Ducky still had a look of shock on his face, never having thought he would see Gibbs follow orders from anyone. "Well, I should let the rest of the team know he's awake. I'll leave you to calm him down."

Mike watched the expression on the older man's face. "You're a good friend to him. Deep down I think he knows, he's just… confused. He's a tough bastard, he'll remember everything soon enough."

"I have no doubt." Ducky stepped outside and pulled out his cell phone. He thought it best to call Tony first. He could tell the team while Ducky went ahead and called Jenny afterward. As much as he wanted to tell Abby himself that Gibbs didn't seem to remember anything past 1991, he thought it would be better for Tony to tell her, so she could have the car ride to process. He decided to sit out in the waiting room for the team, giving Mr. Franks some time to explain everything that was going on. He was lost in his own thought when he heard Abby's voice down the hall, her heavy booths loud against the hard floor.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs Gibbs…"

"Abby wait!" Tony was rushing after her.

"Abigail," Ducky stood and blocked her path. "You need to calm down."

"He's awake! I need to see him!"

"He's awake, it's true. But did Tony tell you…" He glanced at Tony and then back to Abby.

"He'll remember me. I know he will!"

Looking at Tony, who could only shrug, Ducky stepped out of her way. Both men followed behind as Abby slowly stepped into his room. Mike was sitting beside his bed, and they were talking quietly, the pain still evident in Gibbs' eyes.

"Gibbs?" Abby approached the foot of the bed slowly, her heart sinking as his eyes grew wide at the sight of her.

"Who… who are these people? Why do they act like they know me?" He looked to Mike for clarification.

Abby's heart sank at the look he gave her, almost as if he was frightened of her unusual look. Tony stepped up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and giving her a tight squeeze. "It'll be alright," he whispered.

Abby nodded and pressed her face against his shoulder as she took a shaky breath as Mike explained that they were his coworkers and the closest he had to real friends besides himself.

"No… I don't know them."

"You do Probie, settle down." Mike stepped forward and pushed him gently back against the pillows as he started to get agitated.

"If you don't mind," Dr. Gelfand waved the three visitors out to the hallway. "I'm sorry, I know you want to spend time with him, but when he's so agitated, it doesn't help him any. I can't say for certain, but I'm optimistic that he will slowly regain the memories he's lost over the next few days to weeks. Why don't you go home and get some rest. I have your contact information, and if anything changes I will let you know."

Abby started to shake her head, unwilling to leave, even if it meant waiting in the hallway.

"Come on, he's right. Some sleep will do you good. I've got to get back to the office, but maybe Ducky will take you home?" Tony looked to the doctor. There wasn't any more for either of them to do at NCIS until they had more evidence.

"Of course, come with me my dear. We'll stop by your place, grab a few things and you can come to my house. I suspect you haven't had much more than Caf-Pow the past few days. A decent meal would do you some good. The guest bed is all made up, and mother would love to see you."

Tony caught a ghost of a smile on Abby's face and nudged her toward Ducky. "If anything changes with the case, I'll let you know. Otherwise, I'll see you both tomorrow."

Abby peeked around the corner for one last look at Gibbs. His eyes were red and it was easy to see, even from a distance, that he was crying. She wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be okay, but even if he didn't push her away, she wasn't sure everything would be ok. She'd had no idea that he had lost a wife and daughter to such a horrific crime and the fact that he had been carrying such a burden alone for longer than she had known him weighed heavily on her.

She tried not to think about it once she arrived at Ducky's. He sent her in to wait with his mother while he put a fresh kettle of water on to boil. Mrs. Mallard was oblivious to the explosion and the fact that Gibbs' had been hurt and they intended to keep it that way. Abby listened with a smile on her face as she talked about the dogs, and retold Abby the same stories she had told her the last time Abby had come to visit.

"Donald dear," Victoria called. "Don't keep this lady waiting. When will supper be ready?"

"It's okay." Abby accepted the cup of tea and gave Ducky a little smile. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Heavens no, dear." Victoria interrupted. "We haven't invited you over to work in the kitchen. If Donald wasn't one for pinching pennies, we'd still have our full-staff to prepare meals."

Ducky rolled his eyes and went back to the kitchen to put a chicken in the oven. His mother was used to staff caring for her on the week days when she stayed at an assisted living facility, and then come weekends when Ducky brought her home she was often confused as to why her son was cooking instead of the staff.

When dinner was ready, Abby helped Victoria to the table, and then went to the kitchen to help Ducky bring the food back.

"I hope she isn't being too much of a pain."

"Nah," Abby pulled the bread from the oven. "She's only asked twice as to when we'll be giving her grandchildren."

Ducky laughed. "Yes, I suppose she's still holding out hope. Seems as though she's given up on her and Jethro spending their nights together."

Abby's smile faded. "She's asked about him, several times. Told her he was in LA working a case with their office. I didn't know what else to say."

"It's okay. The sad reality is that by the next time she does see him, she won't remember to ask how LA was."

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Spending the night at Ducky's house, meant that he drove her to NCIS the following morning. "Any change?" Abby stood in front of Tony's desk, glancing over her shoulder at Gibbs' desk, a small part of her allowing herself to believe that he might be sitting there, even though she knew it wasn't possible.

"Haven't heard anything, so I doubt it."

"Okay… let me know."

"I will…. Abby?"

"Yeah?" Turning back in time to see him stand, she knew what he was after so she met him half way for a hug. Pulling away as Ziva rounded the corner, Abby moved to her and wrapped her in a hug as well. They hadn't been overly friendly the first few months, but with their leader in the hospital, she needed to rally the troops.

"He will remember you, Abby. He will remember all of us."

"Hope so." With one last look, she was off to her lab.

* * *

><p>Ziva watched Abby until she was out of sight. "She is in love with Gibbs," she said to herself.<p>

Tony glanced up at her, but said nothing. There was no point in trying to deny it, though he wasn't about to confirm that they had been in a relationship. That was for Abby to share if she felt the need.

They worked quietly through the day and into the evening. Tony left periodically to check on Abby and make sure she had gotten a bite to eat at some point, but for the most part, the three agents sat at their desks going over every bit of information they had without Gibbs' memory.

She watched McGee and Tony bent over their desks working quietly and then her gaze turned toward the window. It was getting dark outside, as the hours passed. Unable to sit and wait any longer, Ziva grabbed her jacket and circled around her desk, heading toward the elevator. "I'll be back."

The drive didn't take long, but she circled the massive parking structure twice as she tried to come up with what she could say or do to _make _him remember them. She hesitated outside his hospital room. It was late and visiting hours were over, though flashing her badge and gun had kept the nurses from asking her to leave. The room was dark, but she entered anyway.

Reaching for his hand, she was startled when he grabbed her arm.

"Yeah?" He eyed her cautiously. His gut told him she was okay, but he was so confused after everything Franks and the doctors had told him.

"Ziva," she introduced herself.

"We work together?"

"Yes. I'm a Mossad officer attached to your team."

"Mossad? When did they start doing that?"

"It's been a year."

"Don't feel bad, I worked with that M.E.-"

"Ducky, ten years, and you don't remember him." She didn't have time for small-talk. As much as she'd like to ease him back into his old memories, the lives of thousands were counting on him.

"You always finish people's sentences?"

"Only when I'm in a hurry. Abu Sayyaf is planning a terrorist attack on the Navy. It will be as devastating as-"

"Nine-eleven," Gibbs cut her off.

"You remember nine-eleven?"

"No, my boss told me." Gibbs moved to the edge of the bed and got up.

"Director Shepard?"

"No, no… my boss. What can I do?" He stood toe to toe with her, wanting to do _something_ to help.

"Try to remember!" Ziva cupped his face in her hands, almost as if she was going to shake the memories back in place.

"I've been trying to remember ever since I woke up in this room!" He cried out. He tried deep breathing and relaxing, he tried watching the news, he had tried everything he could think of to will the memories back in place.

"Well try harder!"

When he glared at her, she nodded. "There, that's a start."

"What? What is?"

"The old Gibbs-stare. You have used it on all of us, McGee, Tony, Me."

"What're you talkin' about?" Gibbs shouted at her angrily.

Not knowing what else to do, Ziva grabbed his hand and used it to smack herself on the back of the head. She saw a flicker of something in his eyes so she continued. "Ari..." She fought back tears. "Ari killed Kate. And I…" she sobbed, "I killed Ari."

"Your brother," Gibbs said after a few moments.

"You killed your brother…" He watched the tears roll down her cheeks. "To save me." Suddenly something clicked and he pulled her in to a tight hug.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure he remembers you, Ducky, yes… he'll be here in just a few-" Hearing the elevator ding, Tony slammed the phone down and jumped to his feet. Moments later, McGee was at his side. "Boss!"<p>

"McGee…" Gibbs strode past, holding his head up with confidence as he made his way toward the stairs to MTAC.

"No, I'm McGee…" McGee trailed behind, giving Tony a sympathetic look.

"GIBBS!" Abby flew around the corner, launching herself at Gibbs, nearly knocking him to the ground in the process.

"Hey Abby, good to remember you, Abbs." He returned the hug as he struggled to keep walking toward the stairs. "Ducky." With one arm still around Abby, he reached out a hand to his old friend. "How could I forget your mother left you on a bus."

"I have no idea, Jethro."

"Should you be out of the hospital, Gibbs?" Abby looked him over.

"No time, Abbs. I'll talk to you two later." Halfway up the stairs he turned to look at the screen down below. "I should've know it wasn't Galib."

"No-" Ziva started.

"I'd have made the same mistake," Tony interrupted.

"Well yeah, DiNozzo. I know. That's why I'm so pissed." He reached around to head-slap his senior agent, ignoring the big smile on his face.

"Aww, you didn't forget me!" Tony smiled widely.

The three agents followed him up, leaving Ducky and Abby to wait in the squad room. "It's so good to see him back," Abby threw her arms around Ducky's neck. "So happy he's got his memory back."

Ducky smiled and returned the hug. "It most certainly is. I can imagine a few things might still be blurry, but seems as though he'll be making a full recovery."

"It's Gibbs," Abby laughed. "You expect anything else?"

"No, I suppose not."

They were alone only a few minutes before Tony, Ziva and McGee headed back down the stairs, looking substantially less happy than before. "Cape fear blew. They wouldn't listen to Gibbs… he's uh… with the director right now."

Abby's face fell and she couldn't ignore the feeling of dread in the bit of her stomach. It wasn't much longer after the team arrived in the squad room that Gibbs followed. They all stood, unsure of what to say as he circled his desk and started opening his drawers.

"Oh, uh… I got 'em boss. I, uh, got them from the medics when they took you," he handed Gibbs wallet, badge and gun back.

"Appreciate it," Gibbs took his wallet and slipped it into his pocket and looked over the gun and badge before circling the desk to stand in front of Tony. "You'll do," he said, handing them back. With a firm grip to the shoulder he added. "It's your team now."

Tony opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead his eyes darted to Abby and then back to Gibbs when he spoke to McGee.

"Tim, you're a good agent. Don't let him tell you otherwise." He still had a lot to learn, but McGee was a quick learner. He had no doubt Tony would teach him well.

"I won't, boss." McGee stumbled over his words, unsure of what was happening.

As soon as he turned toward her, Abby felt tears well up in her eyes. He couldn't be leaving NCIS. All they needed was a long weekend, a little more rest and she was certain she could have him back at his desk by Monday. "Gibbs…" But when he cut her off with a finger to her lips and a kiss to her cheek she knew in her gut that he was done.

There was something in the way she looked at him that had Gibbs hesitating before walking away from Abby and closer to Ziva. "I owe you."

"I will collect." Ziva smiled softly.

Gibbs gave her a little nodded and then looked to his friend. "Give me a ride home, Duck."

"Of course." Ducky frowned when Gibbs passed him and looked out over the people Gibbs had left speechless in the squad room. He turned toward the elevator to see Gibbs had turned to look at them as well.

"Semper Fi."

The elevator doors opened and the two men left without another word.

* * *

><p>"Abby, I'll…" Tony reached out to her.<p>

"No. I'll be okay. He just needs a little time with the boat I think. I'll go see him first thing tomorrow."

"Sure you don't want me to give you a lift home?"

"Tony… I think maybe you should talk to the director." Ziva interrupted. She had no doubt Gibbs was done with NCIS. She could see it in his eyes. "Abby, I could give you a ride home, if you like?"

"No. I'm fine. I'm fine." Maybe if she said it enough it would be true. The rest of the evening was a blur as she gathered her things and headed home. She wanted to detour by Gibbs' house to make sure he was okay, but if she knew him as well as she thought she did, he needed his boat more than he needed company. Ducky would call her if he was worried.

Back in her apartment, she still couldn't shake the sense of dread, similar to what she had felt the morning of the explosion. She tried to eat, but ended up throwing away half of the sandwich she'd made.

Not long after there was a knock at her door. "Gibbs?" Abby pulled the door open with force, her hopes fading at the sight of Ducky. "Ducky, is he okay?"

"Well…" Ducky stepped into her apartment when she waved him in. "I'm afraid it's rather complicated." He took her hand and led her to the couch. Once they were seated he continued. "He's not coming back."

"I don't know, Ducky. He loves NCIS. Maybe he just needs a break. He's got more than his fair share of vacation days saved up."

"I'm afraid I'm not just talking about NCIS. I just dropped him off at the airport. Wouldn't tell me where he was going, Only a number of someone who he said could get a message to him in case of emergency."

Abby stared wide-eyed at Ducky for more than a minute. "So just like that… he's gone?"

Ducky nodded. "I'm sorry, Abigail. It's as if he just wants to be done with this life and start fresh somewhere else."

"But what about…" She didn't know how much Gibbs had told Ducky of their relationship.

"I'm so sorry, Abby. I tried to talk him into giving it some time, but he wouldn't hear it, barely said anything to me. He just threw a few things in a bag and asked me to drive him to the airport. If I said no, he'd just have called a cab."

"So he's just leaving us? I get that he lost a family already, I mean… I can't even imagine, but now he's just leaving us? I thought we were his family. He always said we were his family. We were all he needed."

"I don't know Abby. I don't know what to tell you, when I don't understand it myself. I thought we were his family, too." Usually the one to be understanding, Ducky felt like the years he had considered Gibbs to be part of his family were a lie. He understood that everyone had secrets – he had a few of his own – but to walk away from family was more than keeping a few dark secrets.

"Gibbs and I… we were… we were together. It's not that we wanted to keep it from you, but it's been kind of new for us and we were just sort of getting the hang of how the relationship was working and… I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"Abigail… I appreciate you telling me, but despite not having known for sure, I was fairly certain there was more to your relationship than being just friends. You tend to wear your emotions on your sleeve and while I couldn't pin-point exactly when things changed for the two of you, it was quite obvious how you felt."

"Ducky?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"We're still family, right?"

"Of course! Maybe not the way mother assumes, but yes. We're family."

"Promise me one thing, okay?"

"And what might that be?"

"Don't ever walk away from me. I give you full permission to not like what I do, or be angry with me, or… or whatever. Just don't… don't walk away from me."

"Of course not," Ducky pulled her into a tight squeeze. "Will you be alright tonight?"

"Yeah," Abby wiped at a tear and nodded. "I'll be okay."

"I think tonight calls for some scotch, a fire in the fireplace and a good book."

"Have a drink for me. Not sure I could handle it tonight. I think if I started, I wouldn't be able to stop."

"You sure you'll be alright?" Ducky hesitated as he headed for the front door.

"I'll be fine." Abby pulled him into another tight hug. "I love you Ducky. I don't say that enough."

"Maybe not in so many words, but I always know." Ducky pressed up on his toes to be able to kiss her forehead. "Only a phone call away."

"I know." Abby watched him leave and then shut the door. Unsure of what to do with herself, she sat back on the couch and stared at the blank TV screen. Unaware of how much time had passed, she jumped when there was a soft knock at the door. _Maybe he didn't leave, maybe he couldn't do it._ Abby once again rushed to the door, and swung it open without checking through the peep hole. "Ducky called you too, huh?"

Tony nodded, a sad smile on his face.

Abby stepped aside and let him in following him back to the couch. He shrugged out of his jacket and sat down. Once he was seated, Abby sat beside him, leaning into him. "You're freezing. Outside long?"

"I walked here."

"From NCIS?"

Tony nodded. "Didn't trust myself to drive."

"I'd have come and picked you up." Abby hugged herself to him to try and warm him up.

"I know. Didn't trust you to drive either."

Abby gave a sad laugh at that. "What are we going to do, Tony?"

"I have no idea. I have no idea how to lead a team." He had sat and struggled for over an hour in Director Shepard's office. _You'll do._ _You'll do. You'll do…_ He had no idea what to do! He still looked to Gibbs as for what to do, and now to be in charge of it all himself?

"You'll figure it out, Tony. We're all a team. We'll figure it out together."

"How are you so calm?"

"Because if I let myself freak out, I'm not sure I'll stop. Still hoping to wake up tomorrow and realize it's all been a bad dream."

"And if you don't?"

"I don't know. I guess I just can't wrap my head around the idea that he doesn't love me enough to stay. I could understand if he couldn't deal with NCIS anymore, but to leave us? Leave DC…? I mean, I get that he had a wife and a daughter and he lost them, and… oh, God, it explain so much about him, but I… I thought he loved me. I thought he loved me more than he loved his exes."

"He did. I could see it in his eyes. Trust me."

"I don't know what to trust anymore."

"I ever let you down?"

"No."

"Well..?"

"Gibbs never… has everything just been pretend on his part? Was I just.."

"No. You were never just a replacement. Never. I saw him around Diane, and the one before. He never once looked at them the way he looked at you. And that was before you were even together. Maybe he just needs a week off. Hey, maybe you'll get a phone call next week telling you where to send your stuff. Maybe… maybe he'll come back for you."

"No," Abby shook her head and then rested it against Tony's shoulder. "You didn't see the look on his face. He's done here."

"God, Abby. I'm so sorry. Out of any of us, he'd never hurt you. I don't get how he can do this to you. I don't get it." He pulled her in and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Maybe he just doesn't remember that he loves you?"

"Will you stay tonight? I thought I wanted to be alone, but I don't. I don't want to be alone."

"I'll stay."

They ended up in bed a short while later. Abby kept her cool as she tidied up around her apartment before getting into her PJ's and climbing into bed beside Tony. "Night Tony," she whispered before switching off the bedside lamp.

As soon as the room went dark, the emptiness Gibbs had created swallowed her up. She tried to hold back a choked sob, but Tony was right there and she found herself being wrapped in his arms and held tightly to his chest.

* * *

><p>The first week without Gibbs went by in a blur. The team worked together the best that they could, but no one seemed to know their role while they sat in the squad room trying to figure out what to do next. Down in the lab they were extra cautious as to what they said around Abby. She had Gibbs' photo posted everywhere, and despite the fact that the team kept bringing her Caf-Pow! she didn't drink any of it, caffeine with-drawl adding to her misery.<p>

By the second week, she'd gone back on caffeine and the team was able to relax a bit more, still treading carefully on what they talked about when she was around. They didn't say anything about the fact that Gibbs' face was still plastered on every screen.

By week four they had all come to accept that Gibbs wasn't coming back, and that Tony was the man in charge. Every so often they would bicker like before, but without Gibbs to put them all back in their places, they left irritated with one another until Abby called around to each of them, soothing hurt feelings, stroking egos and doing her version of Gibbs' 'tell it like it is'.

After the first week where she mostly holed up alone in her apartment after work, Abby began spending more and more time with Tony outside of NCIS – eventually meeting up at her favorite bar, or grabbing a bit to eat at his favorite Italian restaurant.

"How're you doin', Tony? I haven't been up in the squad room much, they still giving you a hard time?"

"Nah," Tony took a swig of his beer. "Been okay the last few days, I just… sometimes I feel like I need someone to tell me if I'm doing things right, you know? On the occasion that I've led a case before, I always had the boss to keep me on the right track. Even if he let me believe I was in charge."

"And now?"

Tony laughed. "I think Palmer has become my Ducky. Is that weird?"

Abby shook her head. "Not at all. If he's a good sounding board for you, then good for you," she laughed. "And actually, not to make this _not_ about you, but I think it's good for Jimmy. Sometimes I think he feels a little out of the group."

"Yeah, maybe."

"We should include him more often when we do things as a group."

"He's got Ducky."

"Tony!" Abby reached across the table and socked him in the arm. "Ducky is teaching him to be an ME and he's been a great mentor to him, but they don't go out to bars or have lunch or watch movies the way the rest of us do. We need to find him a hot date."

"We haven't done that lately, not the big group of us. Not like we used too. And you're right. If Palmer spends any more time with dead people, he'll never get laid."

"Hard to be the boss and a friend, isn't it?"

Tony nodded. "Sometimes I think it'd been better if Gibbs had left the choice up to the director. Like, if he quit and she said I was team leader, I think they would respect it more. But since he just handed his shit to me, they… I dunno, they still hope he'll come back."

"We all hope he'll come back, but Tony…" Abby sighed. "It's not because we don't believe in you as team leader it's just… we miss him. Don't you?"

"Yeah." Tony raised his hand to the back of his head. "But then again I've mostly recovered from all the brain damage he had been inflicting on me."

"I'd gladly help you with that, if you like…"

"No thanks, you hit hard enough as it is." He rubbed his shoulder where she had socked him earlier and made a pouty face at her.

"Come on," Abby reached for his hand. "If you come dance with me, I'll kiss it and make it better."

"Deal, as long as you make the dance look real sexual and are overly flirtatious with me when we walk out to catch a cab home. That guy at the bar has been eyeing you all night."

Abby rolled her eyes as she pulled him out of the booth and dragged him toward the dance floor. It wasn't hard for her to tell which guy Tony had been talking about. The man shifted uncomfortably on the barstool, hardly covering up his gaze as she pressed her body up close to Tony's. "Least you could do is grab my ass and look like you're enjoying it. I'm not going to do _all _the work."

"Such a fuckin' tease." Tony grabbed her ass and held her close as they moved to the music. They danced to three songs before Tony tensed and leaned in to whisper by her ear. "Incoming."

"Mind if I have a turn with you on the dance floor?"

Abby kept her arms around Tony as she glanced back over her shoulder. "Sorry, we were actually just leaving." Turning back to Tony she gave a pretty smile. "My place or yours?"

"Sorry buddy." Tony grinned at the other guy. "I don't live far from here, my place?"

"Let's go then, lover-boy…" Abby suppressed the giggles as Tony led her through the bar and then ushered her into a cab. Once the door was shut, and the cab was pulling away from the curb, she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "Oh wow… too funny."

"Yeah…" Tony's smile dropped a bit. "But I didn't like the way he was looking at you."

"Relax. My place or yours?"

Tony leaned forward and gave the cabbie his address. "Mine. I've got cold pizza in the fridge from yesterday."

"Sold!"

The rest of the ride was quiet and when the cabbie pulled up out front of Tony's building he paid and escorted Abby up the front steps and inside. They opted for the elevator instead of the stairs, and a few minutes later they were shedding their coats inside Tony's apartment.

"I'll grab the pizza, want another beer?"

"Well, I'd hate for you to drink alone…"

"That's my girl…" Tony came back from the kitchen with a pizza box and two beers balanced on top. He plopped down beside her on the couch, and flipped on the TV. "Not much on right now… Hoarders, the news, that one late night talk show… whatever it's called…" He glanced over to Abby to see what she was interested in watching.

"Hoarders." They said together in agreement.

Abby sighed and took a slice of pizza from the box. "I can't believe it's a Friday night and we're eating cold pizza and watching a tv show about people with crap piled up to eye level."

"Hey, we were at a bar earlier. And we were dancing," Tony said around a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, but it's only just now ten. I think we're getting old." Abby stated ruefully, and then suddenly sat up. "Oh my God, I think you just got another wrinkle!"

Tony startled when Abby sounded so serious and then poked her with a bit of pizza crust. "That's not funny."

"It's okay, Tony. I think the last few weeks have given us all a few extra wrinkles. Maybe a few grey hairs as well." Abby scratched her fingers in the hair just above Tony's ear.

"Now I know why the boss was so grey."

"Silver," Abby corrected. "And maybe you're right. Try not to let the job run your life. And hell, we're off now. No work speak." Abby reached for a second piece of pizza and leaned back against Tony.

When the credits rolled, Tony covered a yawn and started to clean up. "You're staying the night, right? I am in no place to drive you home," he lifted up an empty beer bottle. He wasn't drunk-drunk, but between the beer they'd just had and the few earlier at the bar he wasn't going to make any stupid decision.

"Do you have any plans for early tomorrow? Because if so, I'll just call a cab. I want to be able to sleep in."

"Nope, got nothing all day. If you're a good girl, maybe I'll make you breakfast - DiNozzo style."

"Will you at least pull the broken bit of shells out of my scrambled eggs?"

"Oh second thought," Tony pretended to be insulted. "Maybe I'll sleep in and demand _you_ make breakfast."

"Uh huh… can I borrow a shirt?"

Tony nodded toward the bedroom. "Top row, second drawer from the left. And I've got an extra toothbrush in the bottom drawer on the right, below the sink. Toothpaste is in the medicine cabinet."

"Thanks." Abby flipped off the TV and headed to Tony's bedroom and flipped on the lights. It wasn't the first time she'd stayed over, but the previous times it had been planned so she'd had her own stuff along. She loved his room. It was sleek and modern, and the sheets likely cost more than her entire bedroom set. She pulled open the drawer he had directed her too and she dug around until she came up with a faded old OSU shirt.

She took it with into the bathroom to change and then brush her teeth. The shirt fell just past the point of being indecent, but it was soft and comfortable. She brought her clothes out of the bathroom when she was finished and was folding them to set on the dresser when Tony came in and did a double take.

"Jesus Abbs, how am I supposed to sleep next to you like that?"

"With your eyes closed. Besides, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? Nothing. I've just never seen an old shirt look so _good_." Tony peeled his eyes away and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. By the time he finished Abby was in bed, leaning back against the headboard flipping through a magazine as if she belonged there.

"Mens fitness, Abby? Something you'd like to share with the class?" Tony flipped off the main light and walked to the other side of the bed.

"Mm hmm… What a bunch of beefcakes in this thing. I might have to subscribe just for the eye candy. But I have to say," Abby motioned to the stack of magazines on the night stand. "I was disappointed in the lack of naughty magazines. Has DiNozzo grown up?"

"Nah," Tony laughed and switched off one of the bedside lamps. "I just hid them earlier. Didn't want you telling Ziva my secrets."

"Ah." Abby put the magazine back and then switched off the bedside lamp closest to her before settling down beside Tony. "I had a good time tonight, Tony." She reached out for him in the dark, accidentally hitting him in the nose.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry," she laughed before leaning in to kiss him sweetly on the lips. "Thank you."

"Any time, Abbs. Any time." Tony rubbed his nose. "Next time why don't you skip the punching though, okay?"

"I said sorry," Abby laughed again, and leaned in to kiss the tip of his nose at the same time as he tried to kiss her forehead. "Ouch, Tony!" Abby reached behind her to flip on the bedside lamp. "Hold still, I was trying to kiss your nose to make you feel better. And clearly it's not going to work with the lights off."

Tony held his hands up in mock surrender. "I won't move!"

Abby grinned at him and then leaned over to place a slobbery kiss to the tip of his nose.

"There, better?"

"Mmm," Tony nodded. "Although that sounded a little forced. And can I move now?"

"Yes you may." Abby settled back down beside him, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

He wiped at his nose, making a show as to how slobbery her kiss had been. "Kate's dog didn't even slobber that much."

"Aww… Toni." Abby smiled at the memory. Kate's parents had taken the dog home with them when Abby had decided she couldn't keep it with her crazy work schedule. "How would you know, if she had gotten close enough to your face, she'd have bit you." Abby leaned forward and snapped her teeth together with a playful growl.

"Oh yeah? Well…" Tony leaned forward, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck to hold her still as he leaned in for messy kiss. "Take that."

Abby laughed and leaned in for another kiss. She wasn't sure if it was the beer, or the fact that she hadn't made out with anyone in over a month, but suddenly Abby craved the close contact. She moved willingly when Tony pulled her whole body in closer. She giggled as he worked his mouth down her neck and then back to her lips.

"How is it that you still taste like Caf-Pow! even after beer and pizza?" Tony stared down at her, a goofy grin on his face.

"Because I'm just that _sweet_, Tony, that's why." She pulled him down for another kiss, opening up for him eagerly as he sought to deepen the kiss.

Again he moved down her neck, back up and then nibbled at her ear. "The rest of you just as sweet?"

"You'll have to experiment to find out…" Abby tilted her head giving him more room to trace her spider web with his tongue.

Tony took it as a go-ahead to remove his shirt from her, grinning big when he saw that her lacy thong was a perfect match to the red of the shirt she had borrowed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you planned this." Her skin was pale against his dark sheets as she lay back. His shirt was long forgotten as he dragged his eyes over shapely breasts and firm stomach. He reached out to trace over the ridges of her ribs and she writhed below him. A cool breeze blew in from the window that had been left slightly open. He preferred his room a bit on the colder side while he slept, and seeing her nipples pearl from the chilled air, caused his dick to jump to attention.

"You just going to spend the night staring? Because if so, hand me one of those dirty magazines I know you've got hidden in here somewhere."

"Third drawer on the right," Tony nodded over his shoulder and then leaned forward to nibble at her collar bone, and kiss his way to one of her nipples, sucking at the little bead while rolling the other one between two fingers. When Abby's hands slid into his hair, he smiled against her skin and glanced up in time to see her head press back against the pillow and a soft moan escape her lips.

"Tony…"

"Relax Abby, I'm not staring… give me a chance to explore."

"Hurry!"

"Maybe I should take inventory of all your tattoos before I go any further." Tony laughed and blew a raspberry against her stomach as he continued to move lower, dipping his tongue in her bellybutton, making her laugh.

"You're a funny boy, DiNozzo… All that talk and I thought you liked to _please_ women. Didn't realize you had to do so much window shopping like a fucking girl, my mistake," her eyes sparkled as she urged Tony into action.

Tony reached down and ripped her thong off causing Abby to gasp. "Had to show a little of my brute strength. Don't want to confuse you." Then, he dropped his head to kiss the red mark on her hip where the lace had dug in against her skin as he pulled. He had no problem being a little rough, but this was Abby and he'd always worry he was too rough or too strong despite the fact that she could probably kick is ass if she tried.

"You're gonna take me shopping for a new thong, Tony."

"Mmm," Tony nosed his way down the crease of her hip, her scent filling his nose. "Let's buy several so I can rip those off too."

"Tony!" Abby's knees fell outward giving him a wide open invitation as she propped herself up on her elbows. "Do _something._ And if you quote a movie right now, I'm going to finish this party in the bathroom. Alone."

Tony gripped her hips and pulled her closer, burying his face between her legs. He smiled to himself when she cried out and fell back onto the pillow with a sigh. He kept a tight grip on her hips, making note of every little twitch, arch and happy sigh as he used his tongue to taste, probe and flick against her clit.

Her hands twisted in the sheets and Abby cried out again. "Tony, I need… God, Tony, I need you to fuck me."

Nibbling along her sensitive flesh, Tony pulled away. "Anything you want, baby." He moved off the end of the bed to remove his shorts, and then circled around to his nightstand to grab a condom. He stroked himself a few times under Abby's appreciative gaze before rolling the condom on and crawling back on the bed. He settled again between her legs and leaned forward to kiss her, nipping at her lower lip in the process.

He groaned when her hand wrapped around him and she encouraged him forward, directing him toward her warmth. Tony gritted his teeth as he pushed in. It was one thing to take his time, but he couldn't ruin the family name by coming the instant he entered her. "God Abby, you feel so good."

"Mm, so do you." Abby pulled him close again for a kiss and wrapped her legs around him, tilting her hips _just so_. "Move Tony, move."

Her first orgasm came quickly, and Tony loved the way she called out for him, her eyes half shut as the waves of please wrapped around her. He held off on his own, watching and memorizing every little thing that made her smile, sigh and moan. He was surprised she only needed a few minutes before she was back at it again, this time pushing him to his back to ride him, her breasts bouncing deliciously in his face.

He pushed upwards to capture one of her nipples in his mouth, causing Abby to ride him harder the more he sucked and nibbled on his tasty treat.

His fingers dug into her hips, but as his hands tensed he relaxed so as not to hurt her. As much as the pleasure center took over his brain, he couldn't get over the fact that he was with Abby, and despite all his urges and everything she no doubt wanted, his first instinct was to protect her and keep her safe. The idea of leaving a mark on her, albeit sexy, was something he would have to work up to, if he ever got the chance for a repeat.

She rode him good and hard, holding his face to her breast and then pushing him away so she could kiss him. "Harder Tony, I need it harder."

Suddenly Tony pushed her away and in a blur had her on her hands and knees on the bed. He crawled up eagerly behind her and ran his hands over the smooth pale skin of her ass and ran a trail of kisses along her spine as he fingered her.

"Come on Tony, I'm not going to break." Abby gave him a sharp look over her shoulder.

Before she could add anything to her sharp remark, Tony reached forward and wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling her back onto his dick without warning.

"Yes, God… like that."

He kept his hold on her hair for a while, but eventually let go in favor of gripping her hips, occasionally reaching around to tease her clit or pinch her nipples.

"So close Tony… Again, I…" Her words were a jumbled mess as she pressed back, arching when he pressed his fingers against her clit.

"Come on baby…." He flicked against and again as he thrust, trying desperately to give her what she wanted before he lost his self-control. The moment she cried out his name, he pushed her forward and thrust into her at a staggering pace. It took less than a minute before he latched his mouth onto the back of her neck, and his hips stilled as he came, filling the condom in several spurts.

After a moment to catch his breath, he rolled off with a laugh. "That was fucking unbelievable." Even though his legs were like jelly, he managed to pull off the condom and tie it off before tossing it into the trash.

"I don't know if I can move." Abby grinned at him, her eyes half closed.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Tony cuddled up close, tangling his legs with hers.

"Not even a little."

"Don't think I left a mark on your neck, either." He brushed her hair back to check. "Nope."

"Shame. Maybe another time."

"I'd like that." Tony reached over her to turn off the light and then pulled her close.

Abby nodded and her eyes drifted shut. "But for now, sleep."

* * *

><p>Tony switched on the coffee pot and paced the kitchen – trying unsuccessfully to smooth down his hair. He couldn't believe he and Abby had actually… He shook his head. Despite how he'd always felt about her, he should've put a stop to it. He wished he could have blamed it on being drunk, but they had been tipsy at most… and that was back at the bar.<p>

But Abby was still hurting and he had used it to his advantage. She was his best friend and if he had ruined that over one amazing night with her…

Abby shuffled into the kitchen, his OSU tee on, and moved right into his arms. "Thought you said you didn't have anything to do today." She mumbled against his chest sleepily.

"I don't."

"Then why are you pacing the kitchen at 7am instead of snuggling with me?"

"Abby, I shouldn't have…"

"Shouldn't or didn't want..? Do you regret last night?" She stepped back to get a good look at him.

"What? No, I don't regret it. Not because I didn't want you, but you… I just shouldn't have… I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Tony, I'm not ready for a relationship… not that it's what you want from me, but I know you and I know that you know me well enough to know that. But you're my best friend. I feel safe and loved when I'm with you. I was kind of hoping for round two. You're seriously packin' and you've been holding out on me."

"You don't regret it?"

"Tony," Abby's face went serious. "I would've said no if I didn't want anything that happened last night to happen. And you would've respected me. Simple as that."

"You amaze me, you know that?" Tony cupped her face in his hand and kissed her softly, thanking every possible lucky star that she wasn't upset with him.

"So we can go back to sleep for a while? Then I can wake you up with the best blow job you've ever had."

"Sold."

"Next time I wake up," Abby started as she crawled back between the sheets, "I expect to find you next to me."

"Yes ma'am." Tony pulled her close and pushed his nose into her hair, inhaling deeply. It wasn't perfect, she wasn't _his _but he would take what he could get. As the tension drained from him, he found his eyes drifting shut. The next thing he was aware of, Tony felt warm. Warm all over. It wasn't uncomfortable warmth, like when he was sick and had a fever, and it wasn't the type of warmth from laying in the sun or working out.

As he drifted closer to consciousness, the feeling of heat drained from his extremities and began to feel more localized in his core. Tony's eyes shot open at the slight tug on his balls. His look of shock met a smug, sultry look in Abby's eyes, her dark make up smudged from the night before. He was torn between staring at her mischievous green eyes and how his cock slid so easily between her pouty lips.

They hadn't really engaged in oral sex the night before. He'd gotten a taste of her, but she'd made it clear that she wanted him to fuck her (hard) and so he had.

But now she was taking her sweet time, teasing him and doing _something_ with her tongue. "Jesus Abby, I'm gonna…" If he came now, he likely wouldn't come again for a while, though he would have no trouble getting hard again. He thought his warning would have her pulling away, but she kept at it, humming a little when he stroked a finger along her face. When he knew he was beyond stopping, he gripped her face and pumped ever-so-gently into her mouth until he cried out her name and came.

The next thing Tony knew, Abby was curled up by his side, her arms wrapped around him. "Wow, I don't even know what to say."

"Best wake up ever?"

"Oh yeah!" As his heart rate slowed, he let his hand trail down her side and over her hip until Abby stopped him and pulled his hand back to her waist. He pulled her close and kissed her, unable to thread enough words for a thank you. As Abby relaxed against him, he again tried to work his hand between her legs. "What gives?" He pulled away, a little hurt at being turned down. "You gave me an incredible blow job and now I can't touch you? I just want to make sure your needs are met too."

"And I appreciate that - that you want to do the same for me, but Tony, you've got to learn to accept pleasure. I think you've had too many girlfriends who expect you to take care of their needs and if your needs aren't met, oh well. We're friends. I wanted to take care of you this morning. Easy as that." Abby leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. "But now I've got to get home, I told Mrs. Evans down the hall that I'd take her grocery shopping this afternoon, and I need to get in a quick shower in first."

Tony sat up in bed and watched as she gathered her clothes from the day before and slipped them on. She glared at him and tossed her ripped panties at him, unable to hold the glare when they landed on his head. "You're taking me shopping on Monday after work, unless we catch a hard case."

"Only if I get to pick the style"

Abby laughed as she pulled her shirt over her head. "You can have a say, and if you're good I'll model them for you. But I have the right to veto anything uncomfortable or unpractical."

"Deal."

"See ya."

As soon as he heard the front door shut, Tony fell back on the bed with a heavy sigh.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for all the reviews/story alerts – means a lot. I know this OT3 isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for those that are, I'm glad you're giving it a chance.


	3. Chapter 3

Part three

Monday afternoon, Tony found himself called up to the director's office to discuss adding a new member to the team to make up for Gibbs' absence. He sent McGee and Ziva home and headed up the stairs, with a sense of dread. Despite being one less team member, they were a tight group and finally functioning as a team again. He feared that adding someone new would throw off the balance and they would have to start from the beginning again. The meeting went fairly quickly, but he left in a foul mood knowing he'd have to tell the team tomorrow about adding Michelle Lee to the team. As he rounded the corner to an almost empty squad room, he saw Abby sitting at his desk, her heavy boots propped up on her face. "I almost thought you snuck out without me when I saw everyone was-" Abby sat up at the serious look on his face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, let's go." Tony grabbed his bag and waited until Abby was up from his chair before switching off the desk lamp and heading for the elevator.

He knew it wasn't fair that he was being so quiet, and he could tell it was taking everything she had not to call him out on it again. "I have to add Michelle Lee to the team."

"Says who?"

"The director."

"Oh," Abby nodded. "Makes sense. I don't know her very well, but she doesn't seem like… like one of us. Not that I'm actually on the team, but I can't really see her wanting to hang-out with us after work or bringing me Caf-Pow! or anything like that."

"I'm just worried that it'll throw things off with McGee and Ziva again, you know? We've found a good spot." When the elevator doors opened, he stepped out and waited for Abby. "But don't worry; I'll make sure your Caf-Pow! delivery isn't interrupted."

"I appreciate it," Abby slipped her arm through Tony's as they headed for their cars. "I'll meet you at the food court in the mall, is that okay? I need a bite to eat before shopping. Take's a lot of energy, you know?"

"Sure. See ya there." Tony waited for Abby to pull out of the parking lot before following her out.

* * *

><p>They met up and grabbed a quick sandwich in the food court before headed to Abby's favorite lingerie store. Tony wasn't nervous about shopping for underwear with Abby, but the idea that people might assume they were a couple both thrilled and scared him. What if someone assumed they were together and called them out? How would Abby respond? He frowned momentarily. How would Abby take it? Would just call him <em>just a friend<em>? What would people think of him then? Tony shook the thoughts from his mind. She wasn't his girlfriend, and it didn't matter what the others thought.

"Welcome to Luna, is there anything I can help you find?"

Abby waived off the sales woman as she approached. "Nah, I think I know what I want." As soon as they were out of earshot, Abby turned to Tony. "I love the stuff they sell here, but if you start talking to them, they never shut up."

Tony nodded. It was the same in some of the specialty shops he visited.

Abby brought him over to a wall of various pieces of lace he understood to be underwear – though why pay so much for so little was beyond him. He understood the sex appeal and quality usually meant higher prices, but still…ouch. Although the amount of lace varied by style, he figured they looked mostly the same. Abby picked up different ones in different shapes and colors and after ten minutes, with nothing selected, Tony wandered off while Abby made up her mind. By the time she had made up her mind she realized that Tony had been awfully quiet. "Tony…?"

She turned to find that he was across the store looking through various bra and panty sets. "Find something in your size?" She stepped up behind him silently, laughing when he jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Yeah, nothing in my style, maybe another time. Find what you want?" Tony reached for the handful of lace she was carrying.

"Yep." Abby held it just out of reach. "Guess I can't really model it for you here, but I could follow you home and give you a little peek?"

"I promised you new panties, so I'll get 'em." Tony wrestled them out of her hand and brought them to the counter. "Just be sure to keep track of how many I rip before I have to buy you more." Tony whispered as he paid. They headed back out to the parking lot and Tony hesitated. "So, uh… you're coming over?"

"If you want?" Abby dug around her purse for her keys. "I mean, if you're busy or have plans, that's fine."

"Well, I guess I could wait and wash my hair another time."

"Ok, then I'll see you back at yours." Abby lifted the small bag and smiled. "Thanks again."

"My pleasure."

They both pulled up to Tony's complex at the same time and Abby followed him up the stairs. When the door was unlocked, Abby slipped out of her coat and picked up the bag. "Alright, I promised a little fashion show. I'll be right back. You have a seat on the couch."

Tony grinned widely. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No thanks," Abby called over her shoulder as she disappeared into his bedroom. She pulled her skirt off and changed into one of the lacy thongs she thought he would like. It didn't cover much of anything important and was mostly an inch wide section of lace that sat low on her hips. She opted to leave her shirt on, but slipped her bra off. It didn't take much before her nipples were hard and showing nicely through the plain white tee she was wearing. She let her hair down from her pigtails, scratching her fingers along her scalp to ease the tension. One quick shake of her head and she was ready. "Tony? You ready?"

"Oh yeah."

"I might need music." She shouted down the hall.

"Yeah? What kind?"

"Android Lust?"

"Abby!"

"Okay, okay… something southern…. Something-" When the gritty voice of Muddy Waters drifted through the apartment, Abby laughed. "Perfect." She slipped out of her boots and headed down the hall.

"Wowzers…." Tony couldn't contain the stupid grin on his face as Abby circled the coffee table, striking a pose every few steps. "Jesus." He shifted as he tried to hide his rapidly growing arousal at the sight of her.

"You like?" Abby wriggled her hips and sauntered over to straddle his lap. When his hands automatically moved to her hips she leaned down to roll her body against his. "Should I go try on a different color?"

"No.. no no…" Tony's grip tightened. "I think you're good where you're at."

"So, what do you think? They look okay?"

"You look amazing. Beyond amazing. Jesus Abby, I had no idea there was a sex goddess under those plaid skirts and hello kitty shirts. I mean, not that you aren't hot in those, but… wow. You belong on a billboard looking like this."

Abby laughed and dropped her hands to undo his pants. "Want to know the best part about these panties?" With one hand she pulled his wallet out, searching for the condom she knew he kept there.

"Uhh… you mean they do more than just look amazing on…." His words trailed off as Abby worked his dick free.

"Mm, hm…" She rolled the condom on with care and sat up. "You don't have to rip these off to get to what you want." She pulled the tiny bit of lace to the side and slid down over Tony, dropping her forehead to his with a happy little sigh.

"I think these are my favorite." Tony rolled his hips up against hers and tilted his face upward to kiss her. They moved fast and hard, and it was only a few minutes before Tony was pushing her over the edge with a well-timed flick of his finger over her swollen clit.

"Come on Tony, your turn." Abby nibbled along his neck as she continued to ride him hard, despite feeling weak from her own orgasm. "Come on pretty boy."

It didn't take much until his fingers were bruising her hips as he pushed up into her with one long, staggering thrust. He held her close to his chest as pleasure washed over him. "Best fashion show ever," he said once he could think clearly again, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Thanks."

"Welcome." Abby slowly slid off his lap and turned toward his bedroom. "I'm going to get cleaned up, and then you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," Tony followed her to the bathroom to get cleaned up as well and to change into sweats. Abby pulled on the clothes she had been wearing earlier and found Tony on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table. "Any preference on what we watch? Otherwise Tremors is on."

"_Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails_…. I can't describe how awful that movie is. I love it."

"Abigail Sciuto, did you just quote a movie before I did? I can't decide what turns me on more, that or the panties you just showed me." Tony leaned in for a kiss, ignoring the way it felt so natural.

"You shouldn't be surprised. I can quote movies like the best of them, you just usually get the good lines before I do."

"My bad."

Though Abby was focused on the movie, Tony couldn't help but focus on the way she was curled up against him, the way her body was so warm and soft against his. Every so often he would glance up at the screen and comment, but for the most part he watched her – memorizing the small ways her features shifted during the movie. The way her eyes lit up and her smile grew infinitely wider before she laughed, and the way she startled just a little before the giant worms snapped at someone. If it hadn't been for the fact that he looked up just as the credits began to roll, he never would've noticed the movie ending.

"So awful, but so awesome at the same time."

"It is," Tony nodded. It was getting late and Tony stifled a yawn. "You, uh… you want to spend the night?" The idea of waking up next to her was more than appealing.

"Nah, I probably shouldn't. I have an early morning conference call with someone Ducky knows in Edinburgh. They have some questions on an article I wrote. So I'm doing breakfast with Ducky in the lab."

"Yum, let me know if there are any leftovers." He covered the hurt with a smile.

"I'm sure there will be. Stop in when you get to work."

"I will." Tony stood to walk her to the door.

Abby gathered her things and was almost to the door when her phone rang. "Hello? Oh… hey Scott… yeah, one second." She pressed up onto her toes to kiss Tony's cheek. "Thanks again," she held up the lingerie bag. "See you tomorrow."

Tony nodded.

"Okay Scott, I'm back…" Abby headed down the hallway, her phone pressed to her ear.

Tony shut the door and then leaned his forehead against it. Who was Scott? Why was he jealous? Why did he care so much about wanting her to spend the night? He knew he wasn't being fair to himself by continuing this 'friends with benefits' thing he had going on with Abby. But he didn't know how to stop it. He didn't know how he could explain to her how he felt, and he didn't think he could stop himself from being with her, despite the growing feelings he had for her. He could at least pretend for the few hours they were together that they really were _together_ and for now that would have to be enough.

For a couple of weeks, Tony was mostly content with their hook ups two to three times a week. They mostly spend the weekends together, at his place or hers, doing the things they used to – playing video games, going to movies, grabbing a bite to eat, the only difference was the sex they had at the end (and sometimes beginning) of the day. When she came over during the week, he knew better than to ask her to stay and somehow, not having her say no made him feel a little better. He heard the name Scott a few more times, and with a little digging, found out that he was the guy she'd hired to take care of the landscape around her great-aunt's house.

He was mostly comfortable with his position in her life, but it still stung a little when she introduced him to the nuns as her _friend_ and nothing more.

And then suddenly Ziva is wanted by the FBI and the easy status quo he had been living was turned upside down. Unsure of what he should do, it was clear that he needed Gibbs' help. He knew Ducky had the information, and he paced for 15 minutes outside of autopsy before going in to speak to Ducky.

"Anthony, my boy. What can I do for you?"

"I need help. I need that contact number Gibbs left for you. I need his help. Sort of a, _what would Gibbs do_ moment."

Ducky hesitated. "I… I gave the number to Ziva when she called me."

"You've talked to Ziva?"

"She asked me to keep it a secret. Anyone caught helping her could be in a lot of trouble, she didn't want that on you."

Tony nodded. "So then she's talked to Gibbs?"

"I would assume so, yes."

"And…?"

"No idea. I haven't heard back from either of them. Probably for the best."

Again Tony nodded. "Except the FBI is taking over upstairs and they aren't going to give up until they find her. I believe she didn't kill those agents, but Slacks and his group of pound dogs upstairs are in a _shoot first, ask later_ frame of mind. I've got to find her first. She didn't say anything about where she is?"

"Only that she was someplace safe for the time being."

Something clicked. "I know where she is. Thanks Ducky." Tony used the stairs to get to the parking garage. He took the long way to his destination, trying to shake any potential followers and then pulled up outside of Gibbs' house. He found both Gibbs and Ziva in the basement, going over everything she knew about the people she had seen and the agents that had been killed.

"Hey… hey boss." Tony was surprised at how happy he was to see Gibbs again.

"Do I still look like your boss to you?" Gibbs was serious a moment before a grin spread across his face. "Good to see you DiNozzo."

"Heh… yeah, you too." Tony couldn't remember ever having seen Gibbs smile so openly like that except for Abby.

Abby.

Tony wanted to hit his head against the wall. "So uh, you back now?"

"Nope. Here for a friend. That's all."

"You coming into the office?"

"Yeah," Gibbs turned to Ziva. "You going to be okay here for a bit? We need to see if there is a finger print match for this guy." He pointed to the blurry photo on the laptop that Ziva had taken.

* * *

><p>"Hey Abbs, you got a finger print match yet?"<p>

"Not yet, Gibbs. I've got-" Abby stopped and turned slowly. "Gibbs?"

"Hi."

"I…" Abby turned to look at Tony with wide eyes and then back at Gibbs. "I'm… What are you doing here? Where have you..?" She threw herself at him, pressing her face to his neck and inhaling his comforting scent. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

When Gibbs had all but disappeared from the DC area, Abby had been sure she would never see him again. Though he had left behind most of his possessions, everything was packed up, waiting to be shipped off to some unknown address.

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her tightly, glancing at Tony before letting his eyes drift shut at the familiar sensation of Abby's body against his. "Had to get away. Had to re-learn who I was."

"But you remember? Who you were? Who you are?"

"Getting there. Still have some grey areas. I remember a lot about my early years at NCIS. Kate. Ari. Ziva joining. Everything around the explosion is fuzzy. The time before, months maybe a year..? I don't know, it's blurry."

"I… I'll be in the squad room. Take your time." Tony backed out of the lab to give them some privacy. As much as they needed the information to help Ziva, he could see that there was some unfinished business that Gibbs and Abby needed to talk about.

"What about… what about us?"

"What about us?" Gibbs cocked his head to the side, his brow slightly furrowed. "Don't worry, you're still the favorite. Haven't forgotten the Caf-Pow! either." He pointed to the fridge by the door.

Allowing herself to be momentarily distracted from what she wanted to know, her eyes widened. She and Tony had heard nothing. Never underestimate the power of a prowling Gibbs. "Of course you'd remember my Caf-Pow!.You wouldn't be Gibbs if you didn't," she smiled sadly.

"Was there something else..?" He could see something troubling her.

Abby hesitated a moment, unsure if it was the time or place to say what she needed to say. But Gibbs deserved the truth. "We were in a relationship before you exploded."

All he heard was _relationship_ and _exploded_, but the look on her face filled in the blanks. "Abbs…" He didn't know what to do with himself. His first instinct was to reach out to her, but he didn't know if that was because she looked upset, or if that's what he would've done. And if it really was an instinct, was it because of their relationship or because she looked so fragile.

"You don't remember. It's okay."

"Abby." He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. The way she shrugged it off, but was so clearly hurt, amplified the guilt he felt in his gut.

"You were in an explosion, you had a head injury. It's okay. It'll take some time. It's okay." She smiled softly, trying to ease the tension she saw in his shoulders and the look of worry on his face.

"I… I don't know what to say. I don't remember…"

"You don't have to say anything. I'm not trying to force anything on you, not trying to make you remember, I just want… I just want you to know how I feel. I'm okay with waiting for you to figure things out." She turned back to her computer, desperate to move things along.

"I'm not back Abbs. Ziva needs my help and after that, I'm leaving again, back to Mexico. I shouldn't even be at NCIS, the FBI is likely watching."

"You're what?" Abby spun around. "But _we _need you. _I_ need you."

"No you don't. You guys are doing fine."

"Fine? Ziva is wanted by the FBI for something she didn't do. Mossad isn't helping her. Tony is trying to keep us all together and I…" she shook her head. "You walked away and left us to deal with the outcome. We're not _fine_."

"You saying Tony isn't doing a good job?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying, I'm saying that it's not the same. We're not the same, none of us are," she turned away from him again.

"Abby..."

"Ziva needs you. You said so yourself, you shouldn't be here." She expected him to say something – what, she wasn't sure – but when she turned around a few moments later, Gibbs was gone.

* * *

><p>By the time Tony and Ziva had wrapped up with the director, and the evidence safely packed away, they headed for the squad room in search of Gibbs. "Yo, special senior agent McGee… where's Gibbs?"<p>

"He… he left."

"Uh, no. Not possible. He hasn't even said goodbye. Maybe he's in Abby's lab."

McGee shook his head. "I just came from there. He's gone. Didn't say goodbye to her either."

Tony squeezed his eyes shut. He was hurt that Gibbs hadn't said goodbye, but he knew it would hurt Abby even worse. "You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"Tony, you might want to…" Ziva nodded toward the back elevator, hinting he should check on Abby.

"I wouldn't if I were you. In fact, I doubt she's still here. When I was down there… she didn't want any company and I think she was shutting things down to get out of here."

* * *

><p>She didn't believe him when he said he was leaving again, she didn't want to believe him. As soon as she wrapped up in her lab, Abby raced over to Gibbs' house, determined to stop him before he could walk out of her life again. If she had known he was going to disappear the first time, she never would have left him out of her sight. She wasn't going to let him walk away again. She could handle him not remembering their relationship – that was okay. What she and Tony had was… it was good and fun and playful and safe and… and it wasn't Gibbs. Even if they weren't romantically involved, she needed Gibbs in her life. <em>Needed.<em>

Her heart quickened when she saw his car in the driveway. _Maybe I'm not too late. Maybe he's still here._ Gibbs hadn't been cleared to drive the last time he left, so he'd had Ducky drive him to the airport. But now that he could drive, she had high hopes that she had arrived in time to stop him.

She came to a tire screeching halt in front of Gibbs' house and barely had her car in park before she was hurrying up the front; she was surprised to find the door locked. "Gibbs! Open up," she shouted as she pounded on the door. "Let me in." When she got no response she dug her keys out of her bag and selected the one for Gibbs' house. He had given her a key soon after their relationship started. Once she started spending the night, he'd decided on locking his doors to ease his mind when it came to keeping her safe. As soon as she was inside she moved room to room, shouting his name. She didn't wipe at the tears that spilled onto her cheeks as it slowly sunk in that he was gone, instead she focused on finding a clue as to where in Mexico he was headed.

"Damn you." When she found nothing she slumped against the wall and slowly lowered herself to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees and curling up as tight as possible. Even if he didn't remember their relationship, he remembered her. If he remembered her, then he had to remember how much he cared about her. Why would he leave her like this? The Gibbs she knew would never hurt her. She allowed herself to cry until she had no more tears left to fall.

She looked around at the house. His things were still there, though mostly packed in boxes, and she felt as though it couldn't be more empty. She slowly got to her feet and headed to the basement. She wanted to hate him, wanted to ruin the boat she knew she would find down there. She wasn't surprised to see most everything in the basement untouched. She circled the boat, wondering what she would need to break it apart. As she moved past the end of it, she pulled the sheet that had been covering half of it to the floor.

The second time she circled around she saw the bold, black letters spelling KELLY across the back. She traced the letters gently, allowing herself to imagine him alone in the basement with his bourbon, using soft, short strokes to paint his daughters name.

"Oh Gibbs," Abby sighed and suddenly she understood. While she would never know the loss of a wife and daughter, she couldn't even begin to imagine the pain that Gibbs felt. She remembered the guilt he had felt when they lost Kate, but being in danger was part of her job. He had been the one that was supposed to be in danger when he was overseas, not his wife and daughter.

She felt the anger slowly drain from her body, replaced with an overwhelming sense of grief. Greif for Gibbs – she had seen how beyond upset he had been when he woke up and relived the loss of his wife and daughter - and a sense of grief for herself at losing Gibbs to his inner demons; a fight she had thought she could win. She knew he loved her, or he had before, but she couldn't help but wonder if part of the relationship was a transfer of his guilt at not protecting _them_. Had he felt the need to protect her to make up for what he hadn't been able to do before? Slowly she found herself understanding why he had left everything behind to start over.

She didn't know Franks well, but from the few times she had spoken to him, she could tell that he cared about Gibbs and would watch out for him. She turned to the work bench and looked for anything that would tell her where in Mexico he was. She dug through drawers filled with old tools and sawdust, and opened boxes of nails and cobwebs. She was almost ready to give up when her fingers brushed something smooth on the top shelf, just out of her line of sight. She stretched a little further until she could grasp it with her fingertips and pull it down.

It turned out to be an old wooden frame. She turned it over slowly and stared down at the photo of the young, happy family standing in the driveway. A much younger looking Gibbs smiled back at her, his arm wrapped tightly around a pretty redhead who Abby assumed was Shannon. His other arm was wrapped around a little girl with eyes as blue as his. They all looked happy, but his grasp on them was possessive. They returned the hug, both with their arms wrapped tightly around him. "You were so happy…" Abby traced her fingers over each of their faces and then went on her toes again to put the photo back where she'd found it. She moved back to the boat, draping the sheet over it once again, pressing her palm to the sanded wood one last time.

"Bye Gibbs."

* * *

><p>Abby wasn't surprised that people left her alone for the weekend, and she was thankful that she could wallow in her own self-pity, only changing from her PJ's to go to the store for ice cream and a few basics. But once Monday rolled around again, she was mostly back to herself, and ready to move on with her life. Tony had approached first thing Monday morning to ask if she <em>wanted to talk about it<em> and when she said no, he respected it and nothing more was said. Tuesday evening saw the entire team (plus Jimmy, minus Michelle) out for drinks, and at the end of the night, Tony and Abby both sated in his bed.

"Tony…?" Abby snuggled into his side.

"Hmm?" This was where she kissed him goodbye and thanked him for a good evening.

"Can I stay?"

Tony's eyes shot open and he glanced down at the mess of black hair across his shoulder. "Of course," he tried not to sound too eager. "I'll set the alarm a bit early so I can drop you off at your place so you can change."

"Mmkay." Abby pressed a kiss to his chest and moments later she was asleep.

While Abby slept, Tony lay awake memorizing the way her body felt against his, the way every so often she would sigh contentedly or mumble something he couldn't understand. Every so often he would drift off only to wake when she stirred. By the time his alarm went off he hadn't slept more than a few hours, but he was happy and content. The next couple of weeks progressed with much of the same. They kept things professional at work, and went out with the team, but at the same time they ended up going home together, and spent the night at one of their apartments together.

One night, at NCIS, Tony was barking orders at everyone. They had been dealing with a missing child and despite having found the little girl, the emotional effects still weighed heavily on them all. Eventually Abby managed get the rest of the team out of the lab so she could talk to Tony.

"Hey… what's with you? You got the asshole that took Sara, and she's safe with her parents again." Abby guided him to the back office and pushed him into the chair before perching on the desk. "Tony?"

"I don't… I'm just tired."

"I know. We all are, but you don't usually snap at Ziva, McGee… hell, you never snap at me just because you're tired. What else is going on in that brain of yours?"

Tony lifted his head to look at her. "Nothing… nothing a weekend off won't cure. If you're done with the physical evidence, you can go."

"Are you almost done?"

"An hour, maybe two. Then I'll be done."

"Come over when you're done?"

"Abby…" Tony shook his head sadly. "I can't."

"Oh, okay. Well, maybe tomorrow we can-"

"No. I can't keep pretending I'm okay with what we're doing."

"With what we're…" Abby trailed off.

"I want more Abby, I want so much more." Tony stood and paced as he tried to get the words right. "You're my best friend and I don't want things to be awkward between us, so I think we need to chill out with spending so much time together until I can get myself under control. Please don't be mad at me. _Please._" He dropped back into the chair and bent forward to cover his face with his hands.

"Is this why you've been so… insufferable this week? Why wouldn't you say anything sooner?"

"Oh right, because, _hey Abby… I've been thinking. I love you a lot more than just as a friend. Just thought I'd put that out there,_ would go over real well."

Abby's gaze softened and she crossed the small office, leaning down to kiss him sweetly on the lips. "You're coming over when you finish up here. This isn't a conversation for work."

Unable to say no, Tony nodded and then headed upstairs to wrap up the paperwork and send the rest of his team home. Abby had gone home shortly after he left her lab, and he felt bad for his small outburst in her lab. He would go over and try to downplay it as stress from the case. He stopped and picked up a black rose and a Caf-Pow! for her on his way over.

Abby opened the door to him with a smile when he handed her the flower and Caf-Pow!

"Sorry about earlier, I… It's been a long, stressful week."

"I know." Abby waved him in and shut the door. "But Tony… I need you to be honest with me."

"Sure."

"What you said… about us. Do you want to cool things off for a while, or..?"

"Remember what you told me when we first started?"

Abby laughed, "Tony I said a lot of things, you're going to need to narrow it down beyond that."

"You didn't want anything serious, and I… I do. With you. I'm not saying I want to flaunt a relationship with you around at work, but I want to go out to dinner with my _girlfriend, _and know that we're going to spend the night or the weekend or… or whatever together. I… for the first time, well, ever. I want commitment. Not exactly DiNozzo style, I know, but I can't help it."

"Tony," Abby started as she moved to the couch, curling up around an oversized pillow. She waited for him to sit beside her before continuing. "Isn't that what we've been doing? You're right… when we first started seeing each other I was in no place for any type of commitment, but I… I'm not seeing anyone else, and I don't want too. We spend four nights a week together and most weekends. I don't know what else I can give you. I mean, I'll always need a night alone here and there, because sometimes I just need quiet, you know?"

"Commitment, I guess. But you said…"

"That was over three months ago. But don't you see? I've already committed to you." Abby moved the pillow aside so she could sit closer. "We've just never put a title on it, but if you want…" She hadn't realized an official title on what they were was something Tony wanted so badly. "I don't want to lose you because you're worried I'm only doing this until someone else comes along."

"So I could take you back to Luna Lingerie and say, my girlfriend needs new panties. I keep ripping the ones she's got?"

"Theoretically, yes. But it's really not _that_ much effort for me to slip out of them either. And Tony, I… If we're going to do this, us, seriously, it needs to stay out of NCIS. You're the boss and I know I'm not an agent, but…"

"Understand."

"And hey, wipe that smirk off your face." Abby cupped his face in her hands and squished his cheeks together.

"I can't help it." Tony pushed forward to kiss her, nipping her lower lip.

"Nothing has changed, Tony. We're still us, I can't believe you've been so stressed about… about nothing."

"Maybe nothing has changed for you, but for weeks I'd want you to spend the night but never asked because I didn't want to seem too eager and scare you off."

"You don't need to walk on eggshells around me, Tony. If I didn't want to be here, with you… I wouldn't. Ok, well, this is my place, so _you_ wouldn't be here, but, whatever. I'm not going to lie, there will be nights where I don't want to come over. Not because I'm mad or am changing my mind, but sometimes I just need quiet."

"S'okay. Sometimes I need some alone time too."

"Some solo time with Magnum P.I.?"

"Mmm," Tony leaned forward again to nuzzle at her ear. "Got to keep our bromance going strong."

Abby shivered when his teeth scraped gently along her neck. "Anything you'd like to share regarding your bromance with Magnum? Anything I should know?"

"Nope."

When his hands started moving under her shirt Abby gently pushed him off. "I'm hungry, I haven't had dinner yet, and I'm assuming with the day, hell, week we've had, you haven't either."

"Not hungry, want you." Tony nosed his way down her neck to kiss her throat.

"Well, lover-boy, then you'll have to sit here and want me alone because I want food." She worked herself free and headed for the kitchen, smiling when she heard him following behind.

"I can whip up a quick PBJ?"

Abby rolled her eyes. "You're Italian and all you can whip up is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? I might have to rethink this _serious commitment_ thing we've got going on."

"Hey now, DiNozzo men can whip up magic in the kitchen. But you're hungry and I'm horny. I'm trying to compromise here."

Abby rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Put some olive oil in the pan, I've got some chicken here. You cook those and I'll whip up a salad. That okay?"

"Sure, but Abby?"

"Hmm?" Abby turned to him from where she stood inspecting her refrigerator.

Tony wrapped his fingers around her wrist and tugged her close. "I uh… I just wanted to tell you that, I uh… I love you." He could feel his cheeks flush with his whispered announcement.

"I'm sorry, Mr DiNozzo… I couldn't quite hear that, could you repeat?" Abby asked with a smile. When he blushed further, she leaned into his arms for a hug and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You heard me."

"Mm, I did. And I love you too. You know that, right?"

"I do now."

"And I'd love you more if you get started on that chicken." She pulled out of his arms with a quick kiss to his cheek and spun away to take the things she needed for a salad out of the fridge. At his pretend pout she laughed and pointed a fork in his direction. "Come on, a girl who likes to eat? I should be your biggest fantasy. Although wait, don't you have a rule about that?"

"Never date a girl that eats more than you."

Abby thought for a moment. "Yeah, no... I think we're still okay."

"The day you eat more than me will never happen," Tony eyed her appreciatively. "And I know you can eat a lot."

They fell into a relaxed mood as they cooked, ate dinner and cleaned up together. Tony felt completely at ease over the fact that they were now on the same page. He hadn't meant to say those three little words, but seeing her so at ease with him and so happy, he hadn't been able to hold it in. As she chattered on about something scientific that he didn't understand (he slowly understood how Gibbs must have felt), he found himself just watching the way she moved, the way she spoke… every little detail.

"Tony?"

"Hm?" He met her gaze with a smile.

"Everything okay?"

"Perfect. Can I take you to bed yet?"

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks they fell into an easy routine of keeping things casual at work (no one suspected anything when she threw her arms around him at work – she did the same to everyone), and then spending three nights a week together at her place during the week and most of the weekend at his place. Gradually a few of her things drifted over to his place, and soon she had cleared a drawer for him.<p>

On one particular evening, Abby had been overly quiet, causing Tony to worry. Then, just before he could ask her what was wrong she produce a file with her medical records.

"Tony, it's up to you, but I uh… I'm clean and on the birth control pill, so if you wanted to skip the condoms, it's okay with me."

Tony stared at her a moment, processing what she'd said. No one had ever trusted him like that before and it both shocked an amazed him. "I uh… wow, Abby."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, I just… you know… so you don't have to keep buying them. But if you want to, it's totally okay."

"No no," Tony directed her to the couch and sat down before pulling her onto his lap. "I've just never taken that step in a relationship before. I'll have my records for you tomorrow."

"If you say you're clean, I trust you. I know that you have blood tests every six months for work."

"But don't you want to be sure... I would just feel better if I could show you."

"You're not used to having people put some much trust in you, are you?"

"You've just now figured that out?"

Abby ran her fingers through his hair, a soft smile on her face. "No, but I'm trying to make a difference."

"You are."

"Good. I trust you Tony, and I want you to trust that I trust you." She leaned in for a gentle kiss and then got up. "Come on, it's late. I'm tired."

Tony didn't push for sex, but instead lay awake worried that maybe if by wanting to show her his records she worried that he was unsure and was going for a quick test first thing in the morning. The next day he went right to Ducky to get a copy, and had it on her desk before she could finish her first Caf-Pow of the morning.

"That was quick," she laughed when she flipped the file open to see what it was. "Don't expect a lunch time quickie, even though that sounds kind of nice."

"What sounds nice?" McGee interrupted and then nodded to Tony. "Morning boss."

"Wild sex in the elevator," Abby sighed, smirking at the deep red that spread across McGee's face. "Oh come on, Timmy. I'm just playing with you. Tony offered to get me a second Caf-Pow!"

"I… uh, oh…yeah, ok."

"Grow up," Tony smacked the back of his head and gave Abby grin when McGee turned away. The day was easy by their standards and when Tony pulled up outside of Abby's apartment he was completely at ease. The smell of whatever she'd picked up for dinner on the way home was a scent trail to her front door and Tony let himself in with the key she'd given him a while back. "Smells delicious."

"Just a roast chicken from the grocery store."

"I was talking about you." Tony tossed his jacket over the arm of the couch and found Abby in the kitchen. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, nibbling at her neck until she laughed. "Ziva thinks I've found a new college girl for the weekend. Says I've been too agreeable, letting McGee get away with making fun of me."

"You better not have found a college girl for the weekend. I have big plans!"

"You do, do you? Can I bring my college girl with?"

"Was thinking we should have a movie marathon and pizza and… yeah, be lazy. We've got the weekend off, right?"

"Sounds perfect. I'm going to a baseball game with an old frat brother on Friday after work, but Meg and I will be over after. Shouldn't be too late."

"You and Meg?" Abby turned in his arms and looked at him with a raised brow.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, my college girlfriend. Her name is Meg I've decided."

"Let me guess. Blonde, big boobs, sorority-type?"

"So you've met?"

Abby turned back to the food she was preparing and laughed. "No, but I overheard Ziva and McGee gossiping about _her_."

"You know I'm just playing around, right?"

"Yep," Abby answered cheerfully. "Just like I'm playing around with the gardener here at my complex."

"Yeah, well… if he wants to come take care of the lawn around my building, then I think I can overlook the action you're getting on the side."

After dinner Abby managed to convince Tony that a bubble bath together would be a good idea. No sex, not in the tub (esp. not after that one time…) but she told him it would be a great way to relax. Then they could dry off and move things to the bedroom. Tony protested wildly about the scent of the bubble bath as Abby poured more than necessary in, but as soon as she started to strip, Tony wasn't far behind. Abby lay back in his arms and the water came up to her breasts, just barely keeping her nipples out of sight from Tony.

"You know, I'm going to have a hell of a time explaining to Ziva why you and I smell the same tomorrow."

"Nah, I'll wear my gunpowder perfume. Tell 'em you spent the night with Meg."

By the time they finished they were both warm and sluggish. Neither of them bothered with any clothes once they were dried off as they climbed into bed. Abby smiled warmly at him as he moved closer. That night Tony couldn't help but be gentle, almost to the point where Abby was in tears with how much she needed him.

"Tony, please…"

"Not yet baby doll… not yet." He touched her softly and slowly, tasting every inch of her skin. Finally, when he wasn't sure how long he could hold on, did give her what she needed. They were a mess of sweaty limbs when they fell asleep, not bothering to clean up or change the sheets.

The rest of the week they spent mostly apart. Abby had plans with the nuns Wednesday and Thursday and Friday Tony met up with his friend. He was thrilled he was able to fill in his old buddy about his amazing girlfriend, using his phone to pull up a photo of her.

"Whoa, dude, a goth? Your taste has changed since college."

"She's the happiest little goth you'll ever meet." Tony grinned at his friend Michael. They had been the best of friends all through college and even with a several hour drive between them, they caught up fairly regularly. He dropped his gaze back to the photo of Abby on his phone.

"You think she's the one?"

"The one for what?" Tony looked up sharply.

"You know, white picket fence, two kids, a dog…?"

"I… I don't know if that's what I want anymore. I thought I did, but now…? And I don't think it's what she wants either. I'm just happy that we're together. We go out, we stay in… she sees her friends, I see mine. But I know I've got a warm bed waiting for me."

"Whatever floats your boat, dude. I'm happy for you."

"Yeah, thanks man." They parted ways and Tony couldn't help but drive to Abby's with a giant smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Saturday morning, even though she woke up wrapped in Tony's arms, she felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. Not quite the same as the morning before Gibbs was caught up in the explosion, but something felt off. The day before Tony had suggested heading downtown for the afternoon, but with the way she felt, she wasn't going to risk going anywhere.<p>

"You're thinking too loud, go back to sleep."

Abby rolled over and buried deeper into his arms, pressing her face against his warm chest. "Just thinking about how happy I am that we've finally got an entire weekend free."

"Mmm think about it later. Sleep now, you'll need your energy later."

After a rambunctious round of morning sex and one shared hot shower later, Tony was dragging Abby out the door for brunch at her favorite diner. Afterward, they headed to a nearby park for a stroll through the sunshine.

"What's with you today? Been awhile since I've seen you so quiet."

"I don't know, I just woke up feeling… off, you know?"

"Sick?" Tony went pale.

"No. NO!" Abby shook her head. "Nothing like that. I just can't shake this weird feeling."

"You… you're sure?"

"I would tell you if _that_ was my concern."

"Oh. Sort of like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop?"

"Yeah, I guess." Abby followed him to a park bench and they sat down. "Tell me more about your visit with your friend. What was his name? Michael? Did _Meg_ hangout with you two?"

Tony laughed. "Yeah, she was a big hit. We just caught up on the past year. He's had some bad luck with women lately, so he just wanted to get away and have some fun."

They chatted awhile longer and then headed back for Tony's car. The drive back to Abby's place was quick, and when they got back, they both headed to the bedroom to change into something more suitable for curling up on the couch for the evening. Abby grabbed the shirt Tony had been wearing and shorts. The shirt fell to mid-thigh, and if she curled up next to him, she could tuck her knees inside.

Seeing that he wasn't getting his shirt back, Tony decided to go without, and instead just grabbed a pair of sweats.

When the doorbell rang, Abby handed Tony her beer and pushed off the couch. "Three more minutes and our pizza would've been free. Does it count if I make him wait for three minutes at the front door?"

"No. I've tried." Tony slapped her ass to get her moving. "Only makes for an angry pizza delivery dude. Then they fuck with your pizza. Not. Good."

Abby tugged the oversized Ohio State shirt down past the small shorts she was wearing headed for the front door. No need to give the pizza boy a free show. The doorbell rang again and Abby grabbed Tony's wallet from the small table beside the door "I'm coming, I'm coming." She opened the door, a twenty dollar bill in her hand. "Hey…"

Seeing Gibbs in the doorway, Abby felt her heart seize and her knees tremble. "Gibbs?"

"I remember."

* * *

><p>TBC..<p>

*smirk*


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

"I remember." He was tan, his face scruffy and his shirt hung loose on his body.

A young man with shaggy blond hair interrupted the moment, holding up a dented pizza box. "Sorry I'm late – had a little run in with a light pole. Pizza is free." He pushed the box into Abby's shaking hands and turned on his heel.

Abby didn't register his words, her gaze fixed on Gibbs, unable to look away. She accidentally let the pizza slip through her fingers, not caring when the box hit the floor.

"I remember us, and I remember how much I love you. I remember it all."

"Hey what's taking so-" Tony stepped up behind Abby and froze at the sight of Gibbs. "Boss?"

"DiNozzo?" Seeing Tony in Abby's apartment without a shirt made Gibbs cock his head to the side. He didn't notice that Tony was shirtless until he took in what Abby was wearing, one of Tony's shirts, and her own barely –there shorts. "Am I interrupting something?"

Abby was still speechless, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted.

"Abby? You okay?" Tony's warm hand wrapped around her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

"I… yeah," she nodded, this time keeping herself from looking directly at Gibbs. "I'm just… surprised."

"Is Ziva in trouble again? I didn't realize how hard it is to keep track of her until I became team lead," Tony laughed nervously and ran his hand over his face and then through his hair, "You coming back to NCIS?" It was a minor detail compared to what they were dealing with by the look on Gibbs' face, but he couldn't bring himself to ask the questions he really wanted to ask. _Are you back for Abby? Are you taking her away from me?_

"Fornell needs help re-opening an old case."

Abby looked up sharply and took a step back until she backed into Tony's chest. "Then you're not staying at NCIS?"

"I… I don't know what's gonna happen." Gibbs leaned against the door frame, his eyes catching on the way Tony's hand dropped and curved around Abby's hip, holding her back against him. "I've just come back this evening. I wanted to tell you I was back first, before showing up at NCIS Monday."

Abby bent down to pick up the pizza box and handed it to Tony. "Will you put that in the kitchen?"

"Yeah. Sure." Tony looked from Abby to Gibbs and back to Abby before taking the pizza and heading for the kitchen.

She waited until Tony was out of earshot and then crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "I need to know if you're only going to be here for a week, because if you are… I can't be around you. I can't have you back in my life for another week and watch you walk away again."

"Said I didn't know if I was staying at NCIS, I'm staying in DC. Took my house off the market."

"Okay, um, we're about to eat and watch a movie, so…" Abby glanced over her shoulder and nervously played with the door handle. "I guess I'll see you at work Monday." She closed the door slowly, giving Gibbs the chance to step back before closing it completely. The moment the door closed, her knees gave out and Abby sank to the floor unable to hold back the tears.

"What have I done…?"

That's how Tony found her, sitting on the floor, her back against the door, her knees pulled up to her chest as she cried. "Hey now…" He knelt beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He didn't have the words he needed to comfort her, so instead he held her tightly and ran his fingers through her hair.

As Abby cried, Tony found his insecurities flare up. He had been one of a very limited number of people who knew about Gibbs' and Abby's relationship before everything had gone to hell. He had been supportive and jealous all at once, wanting his friend to be happy, but grieving for himself at the same time. When he had first joined NCIS, Gibbs' had threatened to tear him (or anyone else, really) limb from limb if they hurt Abby and he had heeded that warning at first, happy to consider her a good friend. But the more and more they had gotten to know each other, the more they spent Friday evenings watching awful sci-fi movies, the more his feeling for her grew. His late-night partying slowed and he assumed he was making progress. Then Abby had pulled him aside, just after Kate had died. She was upset that she hadn't told Kate how much she cared for her as a friend, and was worried that she wouldn't get the chance to tell the rest of the people she loved.

Tony had learned that Abby had gone to Gibbs first (surprising) and flat out told him that she loved him. She confided in Tony that she hadn't expected anything from Gibbs, but finding herself pushed up against the basement wall, Gibbs' lips pressed hers had been more than welcome. When she finally got around to telling Tony how she couldn't imagine life without him, he smiled his megawatt smile, pulled her into a hug and returned the sentiment before suggesting a 'victory beer' to celebrate her new relationship status with their boss.

"Come on, baby," Tony soothed, "let's get off the floor. Why are you so upset? For weeks you were certain he would be back, and now he is. Isn't this what you wanted?" Tony tried to sound upbeat.

"He," she wiped her tears on her sleeve, "he said he remembers now. He remembers us. Me and him. What we had before…"

"Oh." He always knew in the back of his mind that one day Gibbs would remember. Abby was way too amazing to completely forget. When he'd returned before to help Ziva, the fact that Gibbs' hadn't remembered his relationship with Abby (except that she was his favorite) had given Abby the green light to be completely comfortable in her relationship with Tony. Before that she had always held back, just a little, just in case. Later she had told Tony that she had confronted him, asked him if he remembered the good times they'd shared, but with the exception of a few birthday dinners and his offerings of Caf-Pow he'd been confused as to what she meant. "Hey, want to talk about it?"

"No. I can't. Not right now."

"If you want some time alone, I understand. I can head back to my place for the night."

"No!" Abby grabbed his arm. "No, I just… let's go watch our movie."

"You're sure? If you change your mind, it's okay." Tony helped her up off the floor and led her back to the sofa. "I'll grab us each some pizza. You want another beer?"

"Please." Abby curled up on the couch and stared at the commercials playing on the TV, unaware that Tony was back until he set a plate with two slices of pizza on her lap.

"You're sure you want me-"

"Tony!" Abby shifted her plate to the coffee table and waited for Tony to sit and do the same. She tugged him in close and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. "I love you and if I want to be alone, I'll let you know. But I've heard awful things about _Frankenfish_. I'm certainly not going to watch it alone." The beginning of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Alright, alright." Tony flipped to the OnDemand channel. "I already get the feeling I'm going to want the next ninety minutes of my life back."

"Mm, probably." Abby reached for her pizza and took a bite. This was her problem, not Tony's. She needed to deal with her feelings, but at the same time, she needed to keep Tony out of it. He would have enough to deal with if Gibbs ended up back at NCIS. The promotion at work had been well deserved, but she knew without a doubt, both McGee and Ziva would rather work under Gibbs' direction. And as much as Tony teased about being the boss, it was a lot to carry on his shoulders. He had been secure in his spot under Gibbs. Being the boss had brought out a whole new level of insecurities for him.

Tony kept an eye on her as she finished her pizza, swallowed the last of her beer and then curled into his side. He wrapped an arm around her, and pressed a couple kisses to her hair. He smiled when she jumped as an over-sized, ugly-as-sin fish jumped out of the water, snapping an unsuspecting fisherman in half. "This going to give you nightmares?"

Abby shot him a playful look. "No, you?"

"Maybe. Can I stay the night so you can rub my back when I wake up screaming?"

"Of course. Can I get your scream on video and share with the class on Monday?"

Tony tugged on one of her ponytails. "Only if I get to share that _other_ video we took."

"We can make it a double feature!"

The look on her face told him that his hadn't been much of a threat. He wasn't surprised though. A few weeks ago he'd bought himself a small video camera – a small gadget to play with – Abby had given him a lap-dance and he had recorded it. In the video she had kept most of her clothes on, though she had lost her shirt, but the video ended with her promising better things if he switched the camera off. The last shot of the video was of himself nodding vigorously with Abby's husky laugh in the background. "No, that's _private property_."

"But you can't see anything." Abby pouted and climbed into his lap. "With the exception of a few things, it's totally rated PG."

"PG? Abbs, if I can use it to get off when you're not around, it's _not_ PG. I don't think anything about you is rated PG." He laughed and then leaned forward to chase the pout off her lips with a kiss. "I mean that in the best way possible."

"You watch that video when I'm not around? Does it make you think naughty things? Like I said, you can't even see anything."

Tony smiled widely. "Your voice is all I need, sweet cheeks. Of course, I prefer the real thing, but you know, if you're busy…"

"I'm flattered."

"You should be. But that said, I don't want McGee watching the lap-dance you did for _me. _I'm sure McGee has seen more than his fair share of lap-dances or whatever, but I don't want to think about that."

"Don't be jealous," Abby straddled his lap and nuzzled against his neck. "That happened a long time ago and ended just as long ago."

"I'm not jealous of McGoo. I just don't want to spark any of his Abby-fantasies."

She nipped at his earlobe and whispered into his ear. "Abby-fantasies? Do you have any of those?"

"More than enough to keep you on your toes, but we'll save those for another night." Tony gently moved her from his lap so he could get up. He knew she was watching him as he tidied up their mess and then turned off the tv and locked the door. She looked vulnerable as he moved around her living room, and when he finally reached a hand out to her, she took it eagerly, leaning into him as he directed her down the hallway to her bedroom.

Tony was the first to be ready for bed and he slipped between the sheets, resting his back against the headboard. He was concerned with the way Abby seemed to just ignore the fact that Gibbs was back. She hadn't mentioned him, by name, since… well, he'd thought he'd heard her say his name when she opened the door; it's what had prompted him to get up in the first place. She told him she didn't want to talk about it and he would respect it for tonight, but she couldn't pretend he wasn't back. Not if Gibbs would be back at NCIS. He wasn't too concerned about his job. If Gibbs did come back, he would gladly step back to senior field agent, but Gibbs would have to understand that it was his team too – four months as team leader and he felt more protective over McGee and Ziva than he had before. He knew that if Gibbs came back to NCIS, Jenny would likely offer him his own team, a new team, but the team he had now, was family. They had stuck with him the longest and he was more interested in protecting his family than being the boss. Even if he did enjoy the bump in his salary.

He glanced up when the bathroom door opened and did a double take when he saw Abby. She was naked, her hair pulled up off her shoulders in a messy bun. "Wowzers."

"I need you tonight."

"Baby, you've got me," Tony grinned and pulled back the covers for her before shifting down and wiggling free of his boxers. He was gentle with her as he pulled her in closer, touching and kissing her until he felt he start to relax in his arms.

Abby was mostly quiet as they made love. She knew full well that she was with Tony (and she loved the way he always knew if she needed a more gentle or rough approach) but with Gibbs not far from her mind she was worried that she would slip up and call him Gibbs. She was thankful that the lights were off and Tony couldn't see the tears slip down over her cheeks, or when she clenched her eyes shut against the flashes of silver hair she thought she saw.

By the time her orgasm ripped through her, Abby was exhausted. "Love you. Love you so so much," she panted. She had kept asking for more, though she hadn't known what she had wanted or needed, and Tony had delivered. He had kept changing pace, toying with her clit and nipples and finally she'd been able to let go and let the bittersweet pleasure wash over her. Tony collapsed beside her, his arms shaky from holding himself over her.

As her breathing slowed, she suddenly realized Tony hadn't found his release yet, confirming her suspicions when she ran her hand over his abdomen and found his cock straining against his belly. "Oh God, Tony."

"S'ok," he tried to pull her into his arms. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit.". She slipped out of his grasp and curled up between his legs, taking over half of his length in her mouth.

"Fuck-" It wasn't even close to being the first time she'd given him head, but there was something about the urgency in the way she used her tongue. She'd told him she loved him several times since Gibbs had stopped by and he had the feeling she was trying to show him how much she loved him, a way to ease his worries. He was surprised that, as she worked his dick and his thoughts turned to his former boss, someone Abby had been in a relationship with, it didn't do anything to cut back his desperate need to come. He wondered briefly if Abby was pretending that she was sucking on Gibbs' dick. And even if she wasn't thinking about Gibbs, had she given him the same treatment? The mental image of Abby's head bobbing furiously up and down over Gibbs' lap, her jet black pigtails swinging to and fro caused his hips to jerk upwards. He was in the middle of the best oral sex in his life and he was picturing his lover and their boss. He wanted to care, he thought he should care, but in the end all his mind went back to was the fact that a skilled tongue was doing things he didn't think were possible to his dick.

In the end he gave a hoarse cry as he came, his fingers tangled in Abby's hair. He was vaguely aware of her cleaning him up and then resting her head on his thigh. "You okay?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Mm, perfect." She pressed a couple of kisses to his thigh, then one to his soft dick, giggling at the slight twitch she got from his oversensitive softening dick.

"C'mere." Tony tugged her up into his arms, throwing a leg over her to keep her as close as possible. "Love you."

She mumbled what he thought was a '_love you too'_ but the soft breath she huffed out against his chest and the slow even breaths she took afterward suggested she was already asleep.

"I just want you happy, babe. You do what you gotta do. I'll be okay." He pulled his fingers through her hair a few times and then pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'll be okay," he repeated.

If he said it enough, he was bound to believe it.

* * *

><p>They had gotten ready for work quietly Monday morning, moving around each other with practiced ease. Abby showered first, and sat down to the eggs and toast Tony had made for her. She decided to drive in separately, popping into the bathroom while Tony was still in the shower to let him know.<p>

"Okay, I'll see you there," he peeked around the shower curtain and answered with a little nod before turning back to the water.

Her palms were sweaty as she rode the elevator up to the squad room. As the doors open she sucked in a deep breath and stepped out. For some reason she had expected NCIS to feel different with Gibbs back, but McGee and Ziva were both at their desks, bent over their keyboards. Other agents passed back and forth along the hallway, sidestepping around her to get on the elevator.

She stood and watched, waiting for any sign that things were different, but when nothing happened she took a step forward, and then another until she was standing beside Ziva's desk. "Morning."

"Good morning, Abby. How are you?"

"I'm… I'm okay," Abby nodded. "I… have you seen-"

McGee interrupted. "Tony isn't in yet," he glanced at his watch. "He still has five minutes. Not that it matter since he's lead now."

Abby glared at McGee and turned back to Ziva. "I'm not looking for Tony."

"Abby?" Ziva stood and circled around her desk to stand beside Abby, looking her over as if she was expecting to find her injured. "Are you okay? If not Tony-"

"Gibbs!" McGee stood in a flash.

"Gibbs is not here, she's not looking for him." Ziva called over her shoulder, keeping her eyes on Abby.

"I'm right here." Gibbs moved down the stairs quickly. "Fornell re-opened a case we worked together."

"Gibbs, it's good to see you again." Ziva offered her hand as he approached and smiled when he took it with a nod. "Are you back?"

"Looks like Jen _forgot_ to file my retirement package. I'm working as an official NCIS agent on-"

"You're back!" McGee said.

"This case."

"And after..?"

"I don't… I don't know." Gibbs spared a glance toward Abby and then headed for the elevator, tucking his badge into his pocket. "I'll be back in a bit." He said it to everyone, but was looking at Abby as he said it.

"I'll be in my lab." She watched him until he disappeared from sight into the elevator.

"You must be so happy." Ziva smiled, happy for her that Gibbs was back.

"He left me Ziva. I don't know what to feel anymore." With that she turned on her heel ignoring McGee as she headed to her lab.

* * *

><p>"Can I take you to lunch?"<p>

Abby startled at the sound of his voice. She knew he would be down at some point, but actually hearing him again – she hadn't been ready for it. "I see you haven't lost any of your skills as far as sneaking around."

"Didn't mean to scare you."

"So… you're back?"

"I'd rather go sit down somewhere and… and talk."

"Are you going to actually talk, or…? Because I don't even know what to say at this point," she shrugged. It was difficult to not throw herself at him, despite the feeling of abandonment. He looked good, healthy and well rested. He had shaved the scruff off his face and a part of her wanted nothing more than to cup his face in her hands and kiss him senseless. The other part of him wanted nothing more than to slap him.

Gibbs hated the pain that was evident in her eyes and even worse he hated that he was the one to put it there. "Let me take you to lunch."

"Yeah, ok." Abby nodded. She grabbed her jacket and purse and followed him toward the elevator. Tony, Ziva and McGee all looked up as the pair walked through the squad room. "Lunch, I'll be back soon." She made sure to make eye contact with Tony. She needed him to know she wasn't going home with Gibbs, and that they would be close by.

"Later." Tony gave a little smile and turned back to his computer.

As soon as the doors closed, Ziva smiled. "She must be thrilled that he is back. He is her soul… what do you call it… date?"

"Mate," Tony answered, trying to not sound miserable.

"Yes, that. They never admitted it, but it wasn't hard to see they were so in love. It would seem that he has finally remembered what they had before. Before the explosion."

"Looks like it," McGee agreed.

"Sorry Tim," Ziva frowned. "I know you and Abby were close."

"Ah, it's okay. It was a long time ago. What she and Gibbs had… I could never get between that. I just want her happy."

Tony tuned out the conversation. No one knew about him and Abby, he couldn't blame them for not knowing, but even so, Abby's love for Gibbs had been so obvious. To his knowledge, no one even suspected anything between he and Abby.

_How can I stand between them?_ Abby had told him she wasn't leaving him. She loved him and she wouldn't walk away. He believed her, too. But he wasn't sure he could stand between them, even if Abby wasn't complaining. "Coffee. Call me if we catch a case." He had to get out of there – he felt like he was suffocating.

He wasn't looking for them, but after grabbing a cup of coffee as his favorite stand, he paused across the street from the café on the Navy Yard, something catching his eye. He looked up just in time to see Gibbs reach across the table, his hand covering Abby's. He watched her smile shyly, but make no move to pull away.

* * *

><p>Abby slid into the booth and turned to the waitress, ordering them both a coffee while Gibbs sat across from her.<p>

"So," she started once they were alone. "Are you staying at NCIS? Is Director Sheppard giving you your job back? Are you going to take it?"

Gibbs nodded. "I can't see myself anywhere else."

"You need to tell Tony. What about him? His promotion?"

"Jen will tell him. He can either stay on my team as before, or she'll offer him his own team. He's more than ready."

Abby nodded. She was well aware of the fact that Tony was perfectly capable of leading his own team, he'd led this team for the past four months. "He'll stay on your team."

"You and DiNozzo… you're together now, aren't you?"

She cringed at how soft his voice was as he asked if she and Tony were together. "You left," she paused when the waitress set their coffee in front of them. "Thanks." Unable to take her eyes off her coffee mug, she continued. "And you didn't remember what we had and then you came back and you remembered me, but you still didn't… I didn't think you every would and I-"

"Abbs," Gibbs reached across the table and brought her gaze up to look at him. "It's okay. I'm glad you moved on. All I want is for you to be happy. It's all I ever wanted and if Tony makes you happy," at a loss as to what to say, Gibbs just let is words trail off and instead ended his thought with a little nod.

"But I love you Gibbs. I always will."

He reached across the table, his hand covering hers. "I know. And I love you. I remember that now."

Abby could feel her cheeks flush slightly and she dropped her gaze as a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I just…" She sobered again. "I just wish the explosion never happened. I mean, besides the physical pain and the emotions that were brought up. I just… we would still… you were gone four months and I moved on. Four months, Gibbs. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with you. If you're happy with DiNozzo…"

She felt guilty admitting it, but she could never lie to Gibbs. "I am, but I… oh God, what did I do?" She covered her face with her hands.

"Easy Abbs," Gibbs got up and moved around to sit beside her. "I didn't take you out to upset you. I just want to know that you're okay." He pulled her sideways against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "Everything will be okay."

Abby hugged him and pressed her face against his neck, inhaling the familiar scent. She wasn't sure she would ever get over Gibbs. He was the first person to make her feel whole, the first person who hadn't even seemed to notice how different she was to all the other women at NCIS. But she couldn't just walk away from Tony. Gibbs had walked away from her – there was no way she could do that to Tony.

In the end they managed to switch topics, slowly falling into their old banter. They kept the topics light, and Abby stayed away from the topic of family. She had questions about his late wife and daughter, but that was a conversation that deserved some privacy – if he would be willing to talk about it at all, she wasn't sure.

Just as the stepped outside of the café, Gibbs' phone rang. It was Fornell, asking Gibbs to meet him at a hotel where he suspected Derrick Paulson was hiding out. "Be there in fifteen." He dropped his phone back in his pocket and turned back to Abby. "Fornell thinks he might have a lead on Paulson."

"Be safe," Abby pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek and then pulled away with a gasp. "Sorry. Force of habit," she turned and headed back to NCIS before he could answer.

* * *

><p>As Gibbs headed up the front step to where Fornell was waiting, Tony hesistated and walked beside Ziva. "Gibbs was awfully quiet in the car."<p>

Ziva laughed "It's not like you gave him much chance to talk Tony. Is it making you nervous that he might want his old job back?"

Tony smiled, "Come on... I'm just bringing him up to speed on the latest protocols."

"Uh huh."

Mickey Stokes let them and rattled on about Derrick Paulson until they realized their car was missing. It irritate Gibbs to no end, but Tony felt especially used. He had been leading the team without incident since Gibbs' left, and now that he was back they fucked up. Tony wanted Gibbs to see that he had been doing a good job in his absence.

He eyed the older man carefully as Gibbs called for another car to pick them up. He looked good, tan, healthy. He looked like the man in charge and suddenly Tony realized that he was all too happy to hand the lead position back to Gibbs.

The Director had pulled him aside to let him know that Gibbs was back, and that she was giving the team back to him. Before Tony could breathe a sigh of relief, she had offered Tony his own team, and told him to take a few days to think about it.

"_The rest of the team doesn't know, won't know until this case is closed. I don't want them thinking about it while trying to find Paulson. Think about it," _she'd said.

And he had thought about it. Thought about it in the time it took for him to get back to his desk. He couldn't walk away from the little family he had built for himself. It didn't matter that it wasn't the family his father had wanted for him (but then again, his father hadn't exactly give him a shining example of family life either).

He followed Gibbs down to Abby's lab where they both stopped in the doorway to listen.

"Paulson could be after any of a half dozen witnesses."

Agent Lee flipped through the stack of files on Abby's table, "I've never seen a convicted felon file so many appeals. It's an abuse of the system."

Abby shrugged. "We're all entitled to our day in court."

"Not according to Agent Gibbs. In going over his case files he seems to have more of a _biblical_ approach to things. You ask me the agency's better off without him."

Abby slammed down the folder she had been reading and turned to glare at Michelle. "Excuse me?"

"I…"

"She can kill you without leaving any forensic evidence; you may want to remember that." Tony slipped in between the two women, turning Abby back toward her computer.

"What do you got for me Abby?" Gibbs ignored Michelle and stepped up on the other side of Abby.

"Paulson's fingerprints on Mickey's gun case and the computer," Abby started to explain.

Michelle broke in, "And he also visited over a dozen people search sites, I think he was looking for someone."

"Yeah I got that part." Gibbs nodded, but kept his eyes on Abby, waiting for her to make eye contact - If not with him, at least with Tony. He hated seeing her so torn.

"No names yet, but I'm using the FBI's mainframe to decrypt the search...hey." When the results popped up, Abby finally looked at him with a genuine smile. "You always did have really good timing."

Suddenly a second window popped up on the screen with an older blonde "Mickey! Where the heck is Mickey you tramp!"

"Mickey isn't here," Abby shouted back and then turned to both men, "It's Mickey's online playmate. She keeps coming through my firewall."

Gibbs ignored the other woman and read over her original findings. "Russell Nash. Apparently the only accomplice Paulson didn't kill."

"Yeah. And the one he really should have." Abby opened her mouth to continue but was cut off by Michelle.

"Nash copped a plea and testified against Paulson, Paulson got life and Nash walked in 18 months. Skipped out on his parole. Hasn't been seen since."

Abby frowned at the other woman and then looked at Gibbs again. "Well if the money was never found, then maybe Paulson is looking for Nash 'cause he thinks Nash has the money."

"Or Paulson is looking for something a little more...'biblical.'" Gibbs gave Michelle a look that sent her scurrying. He was halfway toward giving Abby a kiss on the cheek as usual when she moved away from both men.

"You'd better find Nash."

* * *

><p>Tony knocked on Gibbs' door for the first time in over two years. Normally he would have barged right in, but since he wasn't sure how to approach the subject of Abby, he decided he needed the few extra minutes to sort things through.<p>

"Door is still unlocked," Gibbs said when he opened the door and waved Tony in.

"Beer." Tony held up a six pack of beer he knew Gibbs liked.

Gibbs eyed him a moment and then nodded, pointing to the couch. He watched Tony plop down onto the soft cushions before taking a seat opposite him. He accepted a beer when Tony handed it to him and used the keys in his pocket to pop the cap off. He didn't stare at Tony, but he watched him curiously as the younger man thought of what to say. The four months he'd been away had been good to Tony. He looked healthy, and fit. Maybe a little worn around the edges from a constantly trying to keep up with getting enough sleep, but that was to be expected.

"I'm here about Abby."

"Figured as much."

Tony looked at the older man a moment. He could see he was trying to be patient and wait for Tony to say what he was going to say. He could also read how much Gibbs was interested in whatever he had to say about Abby. It was clear he hadn't been lying when he told Abby he remembered everything – including loving her. "She misses you."

"I know." Abby was easy to read most days.

"She still loves you."

Gibbs nodded. He knew that too.

"She loves me too." Tony took a long drink of his beer. "But I can't… She's miserable. I can't sit and watch her be miserable like this. I need to do something, I need to make it better for her." Hell, he needed to make it better for himself too, but he couldn't do that. Didn't know how.

"What the hell are you suggesting, DiNozzo?"

"I… I don't know. All I know is that Abby won't walk away from me. She doesn't want to hurt me the way you hurt her. But she loves you and it kills me to watch her watch you from a distance."

"So you're what, you want to do me a favor? You're going to walk away from her? You'd be no better than me if you walk away from her now."

"No. No, I couldn't… I… I don't know what I'm suggesting, I just… isn't there a happy medium? I just want her to be happy."

Gibbs sighed. "I'm not gay, DiNozzo. I'm not looking for…"

"I know that, boss," Tony said with a slight hint of disappointment. He never thought Gibbs would be interested it, but hearing it flat out wasn't easy either. "I'm not suggesting some wild threesome or whatever. But maybe… I don't know, if Abby wants to, you know… spend time with you," Tony absentmindedly rubbed the back of his head. "Well, that would be okay. And you know, you could take her out sometimes, like you did before."

"Generous of you," Gibbs tilted his beer up to his lips. "So I don't have to ask _your _permission to talk to her?"

"No, what I'm trying to say is that if you still want to _fuck_ her I'm not going to stand in the way," Tony shouted.

"DiNozzo!" Abby wasn't some piece of meat for them to barter over.

"_What_? I'm terrified of losing her, Gibbs. Terrified, so if I have to share her with you, then at least I don't have to spend the next however long wondering if one day I'm going to wake up and find a note on the pillow saying she just couldn't fake it anymore."

"She loves you."

"I know. Scares me."

"Scares you?"

"No one has ever loved me like that. Ever. And I don't know what I'd do if she walked away. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm… I want her to have options." Tony gave a sad laugh. "Sad isn't it? I'm here telling you that if you want to sleep with my girlfriend, I'm okay with that. I'm _that_ insecure," he shook his head.

"I'm not trying to take her from you. Just keep her happy, it's all I ask."

Tony's eyes widened. "I'd never hurt her."

"I know." Gibbs got up and circled around to sit beside Tony. "If I didn't think you could've kept an eye on them, I wouldn't have left you in charge. I mean that. I did… I didn't expect you and Abby to… But you kept her safe. You've kept them all safe and together and that says a lot Tony." It was the closest to praise as he'd ever really handed out.

"Thanks."

"And don't let Abby's love scare you. It's intense, but it's wonderful." And with that, he headed to the basement. Tony could show himself out when he was ready.

* * *

><p>It was two days before Tony had the guts to find Abby alone and ask if he could come over after work. NCIS had been miserable – Abby avoiding being alone with either of them. Hurrying home alone where she could lose herself in her thoughts, accompanied by a cloak of silence.<p>

"Sure. Tonight is fine, but uh… tomorrow I'm going to talk to Gibbs."

"That's fine. I'll be over around seven." Tony turned to leave again, when she reached out and stopped him. "Yeah?"

"Will you spend the night? I just… I'm tired of being alone."

Tony moved in close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, I'll stay."

* * *

><p>"I talked to Gibbs."<p>

Abby stalled, her arms elbow-deep in soapy water. One too many times the dishwasher had leaked so Abby had switched to doing the dished by hand. "Oh? You're not mad I'm going over there to talk to him, are you?"

Tony shook his head and filled up the second side of the sink with clean water to rinse the dishes she was washing. "No."

"Because I'm not going over there to… we're not gonna…" Abby sighed. "He said he felt like he owed me an explanation of what happened. About his wife and daughter. I want to know what he went through, I have to know."

"You think it'll better help you to understand why he left?"

"Maybe? I have an extra box of tissues in my bag, just in case," Abby handed him two wine glasses to rinse. "I just think that if I can understand, then I can be at peace with everything, you know? Even though I _know_ it's not my fault, I still wonder if… I dunno, I just want to know what exactly happened."

"Understandable. And um, like I said… I talked to him and if you guys… you know, want to uh… well, for old time sake or whatever. I don't mind."

Abby kept scrubbing the plate in her hand until the words sank in. "Wait, what?"

"Come on, the sparks that you shared had to be amazing and I know you feel guilty being in the middle. You've told me you won't leave me for him, but when I see you look at him… I don't want to stand in the way of that. I don't particularly want to hear about it either though, so try and keep it on the down-low, okay?" Tony played it off casually.

"Tony, I'm not going over there to sleep with him."

"I know, but what I'm saying is that if you do… it's no big deal. I can only imagine how hot you two are together. It's got to be some sort of crime to get between that."

"Wait, we're _hot_? You think Gibbs is _hot?" _

"No!" Tony answered quickly – too quickly. "Together, the chemistry you have. That's hot."

Abby looked at him, but said nothing, instead pulling him to the couch to curl up and flip channels. She was unsure of his reaction to Gibbs. Most every many she knew, would've made sure that she was meeting Gibbs somewhere public, or asking to go with or… something. But Tony seemed so comfortable with her spending time with Gibbs outside of work, that she just couldn't drop it.

"You missed Gibbs, too, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

"While he was away. You enjoyed being team leader, but you don't seem upset about handing back the job. You missed him."

Tony laughed. "The job was never mine, I was just filling in while he was away."

"But we didn't think he would come back."

"I know." Tony's face drew serious. "I guess I just hoped he would. So yeah, maybe I missed him. Felt a little lost without him."

Abby shifted so she could look at him.

"I mean, not lost _lost,_ just… It was nice to have someone who was so confident in what they were doing to make sure you're doing the right thing," Tony covered. He had no way to explain to Abby how he felt about their boss. He wouldn't admit, even to himself, that he was remotely attracted to him. He wasn't gay, and neither was Gibbs, but there was something that drew him to the older man. Something he couldn't explain, though if he allowed himself to be open with Abby, she would probably understand. Gibbs was like a magnet – you couldn't _not_ be drawn to him.

As Abby snuggled up against him again, he couldn't help but wonder if this is what Abby had done when she was with Gibbs. Despite being best friends, she hadn't been the most open about her relationship with Gibbs, which on one hand he'd been thankful about, but on the other hand made him curious.

Did they watch movies together? Tony knew he wasn't a movie kinda guy, but Tony could count maybe a handful of things that he wouldn't do for Abby, so he assumed Gibbs had been the same way. Did they have sex often? Before Gibbs had come back sex wasn't a nightly thing, but they didn't go more than a day or two without some sort of sexual encounter – and sometimes it was more than once a day. Was Gibbs rough with her the way she sometimes wanted Tony to be rough? Or was Gibbs careful with her, always mindful of just how strong he really was.

As soon as his body started reacting to his thoughts, Tony knew he had to back off. By the time Abby was ready for bed, he was able to stand without any evidence of being aroused. That night he had to will his body under control when Abby snuggled into his arms and kissed the center of his chest as she whispered goodnight.

* * *

><p>As she headed up Gibbs' front step, Abby wasn't sure if she should knock or just go in like usual. Luckily Gibbs solved her dilemma by opening the door for her as she reached the top step. "Come on in."<p>

"Thanks." Abby slipped out of her jacket when Gibbs reached for it and dropped her bag on the small table by the door.

"Coffee?"

"Please."

"Still drink it with milk and a hint of sugar?"

Abby nodded, and once Gibbs was headed for the coffee machine, she moved to the couch, curling up in her favorite spot, wrapping her arms around the pillow she found there. As nervous as she was to be there, she felt at home. She couldn't count the number of nights she had spent curled into his side, paging through the latest science journal as he watched the news or flipped through old case files. Occasionally he'd ask her about the evidence or she'd show him the highlights of some new research she was interested, but mostly they were content to do their own things so long as they had the physical presence of the other.

Gibbs held a steaming cup of coffee in front of her, holding it until she focused on it and then reached out for it. He set his cup down on the coffee table and then went to the mantle over the fireplace, picking up a faded old box and returning to sit beside her on the couch. "This stuff, Abbs… I should've told you about them sooner. I wanted to," he placed his hand over the lid, "but I couldn't. I just couldn't do it." He looked at her, hoping she understood even a fraction of the emotion he felt. He had agonized over sharing the details of his late wife and daughter almost daily while they were together, but at the end of the day, he had been too afraid that Abby would feel like a replacement – like the women before her – and walk away. In the end, he'd been the one to walk away and for that he figured she at least deserved to know the truth.

"Gibbs, if you're not… I'd like to understand, but if you're not ready to talk about this, don't feel like you have to do it." She wanted to know, but for a split second she swore she saw a repeat of the emotional pain she had seen when he had woken from his coma. And despite her curiosity, the pain she had seen was engrained in her memory and something she never wanted to see again.

"I want to tell you. You deserve to know. I was just afraid you wouldn't understand-"

Abby leaned closer and pressed her hand to his back reassuringly. "That I wouldn't understand what? That you loved someone else? You were married three times before, that I knew of. I hardly thought I was the first one in your bed."

"But the way those other relationships ended," he lifted the lid from the box and picked up a photograph, a copy of the one Abby had found in the basement. "They ended because I couldn't get over _them._" He leaned back against the couch and handed Abby the photo.

Abby took the photo, and like she had done in the basement, she traced lightly over their faces. "You look so happy."

"Was happy with you, too, now that I remember. It's why I didn't say anything. Didn't want you to think I was comparing you to what I had."

Abby nodded, but said nothing. It would've taken some time to get used to the idea of him having had a wife and daughter, but it also would have explained how some of the cases had hit him harder than the rest of the team. Cases with children had hit them all hard, but even with a happy ending, Gibbs had taken it harder than the rest. Abby gazed down at Shannon's face. She had seen two of his three ex-wives and they all had similarities to Shannon: petite with fair and freckled skin and red hair. With the exception of their fair coloring, Abby had nothing in common with Shannon looks-wise. It was hard to say exactly how she would've felt, but walking away from Gibbs, she was certain wouldn't have been one of her thoughts. "They sure are beautiful," Abby said, finally drawing her eyes away from the photo. "Both of them."

"Yeah."

"What happened?" She had done a bit of research online, but she wanted to know what he knew – she assumed he'd have done a bit more research right after they died.

"Shannon witnessed a murder on her way home from work. She was able to get away, but they saw her. She called the cops and they put her and Kelly in a hotel under a different name for a few days. Then, when the trial was postponed, they were entered into the witness protection program, but someone found out where they were headed. They were in the process of being moved when their driver was shot and killed. The car crashed," Gibbs took an old newspaper article out of the box and handed it to her. "They didn't make it out."

Abby couldn't keep her hands from trembling as she read the article. She could see where tears had dropped and then dried, a few letters smeared in the process. "I'm so sorry," she reached up to catch a tear before it rolled down her cheek. "I wish I had known, or there was something that I could…" She shrugged, afraid her voice would betray her if she continued to speak.

Gibbs took the article and tucked it away back in the box with the photo resting on top. Moving it to the coffee table he wrapped an arm around her. "But you did, you've done so much for me," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, when she moved willingly into his arms. "And for that, I thank you." He couldn't count the number of times he'd been sick and tired of everything – of what NCIS threw at him, of losing good people to the terrorists of the world, of his loneliness. But he'd had Abby, and that was enough. Even before they had taken their relationship to the next level, she had been a bright light in his otherwise dark life. Even on the worst of days, all it had taken was her bright smile to decide that maybe life wasn't all bad.

Abby wrapped her arms around his torso and snuggled impossibly closer. "Tell me about Mexico."

Gibbs propped his feet up on the coffee table and slouched down, waiting for Abby to get comfortable before pulling his fingers through her hair. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. What did you do while you were there? Tell me about Mike Franks."

"He lives in a small house on the beach, far away from everything. Has to drive fifteen minutes to get to the nearest cantina. I spent a lot of time fixing his place up. Wanted me to build him a hot tub."

"Build a hot tub?" Abby lifted her head to look at him, a hint of a smile on her face. "Can you build me one next?"

"No, it's half the reason I left. I can patch a roof or build a deck, but I draw the line at hot tubs. He lives on the beach for Christ sake. Water is plenty warm."

"I don't have a warm beach to visit, so I need one."

"Yeah, you find a space in your tiny apartment where a hot tub will fit and I'll _consider_ it." He tugged playfully at a lock of her hair.

"Yeah, alright, point taken."

Gibbs told her about Franks' friend Camilla and how somehow Franks had managed to convince her to deliver groceries on a fairly regular basis. He told her about their fishing trips they took and how once they had almost been caught out at sea when a storm rolled in. Abby hugged him tighter as he told her about how they had almost abandoned the small boat in hopes of weathering the storm in lifejackets.

"Did you ever think about…" she so badly wanted to ask if he thought about her at all while he was away, "think about NCIS? About coming _home_?"

"At first I didn't think about NCIS at all. I was still so emotionally caught up in what happened… back in 91," he answered honestly. "But then… especially after I came back to help Ziva, there wasn't a day that didn't go by where I didn't think about you." He knew what she had been asking, even if she hadn't used those exact words. "And I should've come back sooner, I just wasn't ready."

"I'm sorry I was so angry with you last time. I came here, I was going to try and stop you from leaving again. But I was too late. I went downstairs to break your boat, but then I saw you had named her after your daughter and I couldn't do it."

"I couldn't have stayed; I still didn't remember _us_ at that point. I wanted to, I really did, but I couldn't tell the difference between what I remembered and what I thought I should remember. That wouldn't have been fair to you."

"We could've started out slow; I didn't want to rush you. I just need you in my life and to have you walk away, twice, almost killed me."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

They sat quietly letting everything sink in until it was Abby that finally spoke again. "Have you worked any more on your boat? I know you haven't been back for long, but…"

"Most every night since I've been back."

"Can I see..?"

"Sure." Gibbs picked up his coffee cup and headed for the basement, waiting until she was behind him, her own coffee cup in hand, before opening the door to the basement and heading down.

The smell of sawdust hit Abby immediately, and she couldn't help but notice at how relaxed it made her feel. She followed him to the workbench to set her coffee beside his and then turned to circle the boat, running her hand over the smooth ribs that hadn't been sanded the last time she'd been down. "Coming along nicely."

Gibbs nodded and picked up the sander, picking out a few places that we're quite smooth enough for his standard.

"Will she make it to water?" Abby moved back to her coffee cup and hopped up on the workbench to watch him work.

Gibbs kept focused on his work, but nodded. "Think so."

"Will you take me sailing on her when she's finished?"

"I'd like that."

It was so easy for them to fall into their old habits. Abby loved watching him work, the way his muscles danced with every move he made as he worked on the boat - everything from the broad expanse of his back to his tan arms and his strong hands. It had been five month since she had last felt his hands on her bare skin. She closed her eyes at the thought of his rough fingers, running ever-so-gently over her most sensitive spots. She was startled from her thoughts when Gibbs cursed and dropped the sander.

"What is it?" Abby asked, her tone laced with worry.

"Splinter." Gibbs angled the light down to his finger, rotating his hand to try and catch some light on the splinter. He moved over to the work bench opposite Abby to find a well-used pair of tweezers.

Abby watched as he tried to get at the splinter, but with his less than perfect eyesight and the fact that he refused to wear glasses unless absolutely necessary, she knew his attempts were futile. "Let me have a look." She switched on a small light that was clamped to the shelf beside her head and waited for Gibbs to walk over and hand her he tweezers.

She held his hand up close to her face, eyeing his finger as she rotated it slowly under the light. "Ah, I see it… just… hold…"

It didn't go unnoticed that he found himself standing between her knees, in front of where she was perched on the work bench. Gibbs watched the way her brow furrowed and her tongue darted out the side of her mouth as she concentrated on his finger. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to look at her, watch her so closely without it drawing her attention to him. He felt a sharp sting in his finger and then nothing.

"There! I think I got it," Abby said proudly, holding his finger a little closer to the light to be sure. She put his finger to her lips and kissed it gently. "All better."

"Thank you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and traced his fingers along the soft, pale skin of her jawline.

Abby closed her eyes and sighed softly before looking up at him through her long, dark lashes. He was right there, so close. She could feel a soft huff of his breath on her face and she could handle it anymore. She reached up with her hand, wrapping it around the back of his neck to pull him in that last inch. Kissing Gibbs again, Abby felt the stress of the past four months melt away. When Gibbs cupped her face in his warm hands, she dropped her hold on his neck and wrapped her arms around his middle, pulling him as close as possible.

Tasting her lips again for the first time in so long almost brought Gibbs to his knees. He couldn't understand that how he would have been able to forget something so incredible. As Abby scrambled to both pull him closer and shed him of his shirt, he stepped back half a step. "Upstairs."

Abby jumped off the workbench, a smile on her face as she pressed onto her toes to kiss him again, and then lead him up the stairs.

Turning to close the basement door behind him, Gibbs gave a little tug and pressed Abby against it, devouring her mouth once again, distracting her momentarily from her destination of the bedroom. But as soon as she tugged at his shirt, he once again stepped away, this time the one to lead the rest of the way to the bedroom.

Abby tugged once again at his shirt, this time helping him out of it and tossing it aside. She leaned forward and peppered kisses across his chest and along his collar bone, her hands covering almost every inch of his bare skin, remembering every little freckle and scar. As Gibbs sat on the edge of his bed to take off his shoes, Abby removed her own shirt and kicked off her shoes. She slid out of her pants and then went to Gibbs and straddled his lap.

Gibbs grinned up at her as she pushed him on his back. Even though he still had his jeans on, she was down to her bra and underwear and he could hardly tear his gaze (or his hands) away. Moving his hands from her hips, to her butt, he pushed her down against his growing arousal.

"Gibbs…" Her panties were already soaked and he hadn't even touched her anywhere near where she wanted his touch.

Pulling her down for a kiss, Gibbs eagerly worked the clasp of her bra open and slid the straps down her shoulders.

"Jeans…" Abby panted. "Take your fucking jeans off." She rolled off of him, pushing her underwear down her legs and watching with an appreciative grin as the rest of his body was revealed to her. He was more tan than she remembered, likely from the months spent on the beach, though his ass was just as pale as she remembered. His legs, long and lean curved up into his firm ass and his cock stood at attention as he stared at her, a feral grin on his face. "Well..?" She reached out for him, her body aching for his familiar touch.

As soon as she reached out for him, knelt on to the bed and crawled over her, dropping a kiss to her knee, then hip, ribs, chest and collar bone before devouring her mouth. He thrust against her hard, his dick making a trail of pre-come across the side of her belly.

"I need you, Gibbs." Abby tried to hold him even closer than she already was, afraid that if she lost bodily contact with him she would wake from a cruel dream.

"You got me, I'm right here Abbs." He kissed her again, slowly making his way along her jaw and neck then skipping to her breasts, nibbling gently at one and then the other. "Not going anywhere." He moved lower still, nipping the skin at her hip and then nosing his way down until he found his ultimate goal.

Abby's toes curled when he licked at the wet slick he found between her thighs, her hand dropping to the back of his head, wanting to both pull him away and hold him there. "I…"

"Let me… please."

Despite the sexual haze she was in, his please didn't go unnoticed and she found herself _that much_ closer to finding release.

Regardless of having been away from her for more than four months, Gibbs found it easy to remember exactly what she liked. He used his tongue, tapping her clit and remembered how she responded so prettily when he nibbled and sucked over the surrounding flesh.

"I can't…" Abby moaned. She liked to think she was in better control of her body, but Gibbs no doubt remembered the short cuts to giving her a mind blowing orgasm with his just his tongue. Just as she thought she wouldn't last another second, Gibbs pulled away, nuzzling his way up her stomach, between her breasts and up her neck, his rough hands running up her hips and her sides, pulling her to him.

Gibbs thrust against her thigh twice, dropping his forehead to hers with a sigh. "Been dreaming about this."

"Then quit wasting time." Abby pushed him to his back and straddled him, gripping his shoulders as she lowered herself onto him.

"God-" Gibbs pushed his head back into the pillow as they rocked together. Gathering up enough strength, Gibbs maneuvered her back onto her back. He pushed the hair from her face, and leaned in for a tender kiss before encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. He could tell when she was mere moments away from finding release. He slowed his thrusts and worked his hand between them, his fingers zeroing in on her clit.

"Gibbs!" She shouted just before her orgasm took over. She didn't want to say it, afraid it would scare him into running back to Mexico, but she couldn't stop the words as they flowed from her mouth. "I love you, Gibbs. I love you so much. I love you, I love you, I love you," she chanted as he pushed into her over and over again.

"I love you, too," Gibbs ground out just before pressing his face to her neck as he came.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs pressed a lingering kiss to her lips and then rolled away and got up to get cleaned up. By the time he returned from the bathroom, Abby was curled into a ball in the center of the bed, facing away from him. He knelt on the bed and moved in close to curl around her. "Abbs?" He nuzzled against her shoulder.

"God Gibbs," she sobbed, "what did I do?" The weight of everything they'd done, hitting her like a ton of bricks.

His heart seized in his chest as he realize he'd made her so upset. He hadn't planned on taking her to bed, but the urge had been too great, the memory of her warm skin and soft body too tempting. "Shh, it's okay." He ran a gentle hand up and down her arm.

"I can't believe I did this to Tony. He would never hurt me. He'd never leave me the way you did and then... then I go and do this to him? What's wrong with me?"

It was one of the rare times Gibbs couldn't find his voice. Instead he moved off the bed to pull on a pair of pants and grabbed his phone. With one last look at Abby, he stepped outside and dialed Tony.

"Yeah boss?"

"I need you to come over. It's Abby."

Tony didn't ask for an explanation. "On my way," he said before hanging up.

By the time Gibbs opened the door for him 15 minutes later, Abby was dressed and sat quietly, curled up on the couch.

"Abby!" Tony was kneeling in front of her in an instant, his hands rubbing her thighs reassuringly. "What is it baby?"

"Oh Tony, I'm so sorry, I'm so so… I can't believe I did this to you."

"Did what? Shhh, it's okay," he wiped at her tears. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but she pushed him away.

"Gibbs and I… we… I didn't mean to cheat. I never wanted to hurt you, it just happened."

"Remember what I said?" Tony pushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "It's okay Abbs, really." He could deal with his own feelings about the situation later.

"No, it's not. I'm with _you_now. I didn't mean too. We just got carried away and I... I'm so sorry."

Tony got up and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug. "You love him, don't you?"

"I love you. I'm with you now."

"Not what I asked. You love him."

"I…"

"You've never lied to me before, don't start now. You love him."

Abby nodded, her head dropping forward. "But I love you."

"I know that. And we're all… we're like family the three of us." Tony glanced up at Gibbs. "Don't look at it as cheating on me Abbs. You need some time with Gibbs, with what you had before, I can't keep you away from him. I don't want too. When I see you look at him… I can't get between that."

Abby's eyes widened. "Tony are you… are we over?"

"God no," Tony laughed. "I just… I don't know what this is, the three of us." He glanced over at Gibbs who was still standing in the doorway.

"All I know is that I love you, and he loves you."

"I don't deserve you," Abby shook her head. "I don't deserve either of you."

"Abby, I should've been more in control of the situation. I never wanted you to feel so bad. Maybe it's for the best if we keep some distance."

Having finally seen them together, seeing the way Tony was able to calm her, he knew she was in good hands.

Abby nodded, but refused to look at him.

"I was thinking more along the lines of maybe we could all go grab dinner together tomorrow," Tony ran a hand down Abby's back. "You'll be miserable if you two avoid each other.

"Why are you so into the idea of me and Gibbs?" Abby looked up curiously and brushed away a tear.

"I'm into the idea of keeping you happy and if I have to share now and again, I'm okay with that." Tony shrugged. "I'm not saying I'm glad he left, because I know how much it hurt you. Hell, it hurt us all, but without that, you and I never would've happened."

Abby turned to look at Gibbs. "Why can't I just walk away from you?"

Gibbs worked hard to keep any show of emotion off his face. "Would it be easier if I walked away from you?"

"No." Abby shook her head. "You already did that, twice." If she noticed his obvious wince, she didn't comment on it.

"Come on, let me drive you home," Tony urged her to her feet. "Let's do something fun tomorrow, the three of us."

Abby closed her eyes. "Tony, I don't-"

"So we can show you that we're okay, that we're all okay. Just a simple meal between friends or maybe some ice cream."

"I'd be willing," Gibbs spoke. The logical side of his brain told him he needed to back off. He needed distance from Abby until he didn't feel the strong pull he felt every time he saw her or thought of her, but his heart told him that he couldn't walk away from her again. Not unless she told him to leave her alone.

"Okay."

"Alright, come on. I'll drive you home."

"No. I want to be alone. I'll drive myself home."

Tony shook his head. He rarely put his foot down, but sometimes he had to draw the line. "No, I'm not going to let you beat yourself up all night thinking you've hurt me. I'm okay, I promise. We'll go watch a movie or something. Or, isn't it shark week on discovery?"

Gibbs watched as a slow smile tugged at her lips. He had no idea what 'shark week' was, but whatever it was, it had sparked Abby's interest. "Yeah."

"Alright, you can drive yourself home if you want a few minutes of quiet, but I'll meet you back at your place." Tony reached for her jacket, helping her into it. "So dinner after work tomorrow?" He looked to Gibbs and then Abby and back to Gibbs again.

Gibbs waited for Abby to agree before nodding in agreement as well.

"Good. See you tomorrow then." Tony escorted her out the door and down to her car. He opened the door for her and kissed her before motioning for her to get in. "See you in a few."

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Tony sighed happily as he pushed his face between Abby's thighs. He had tried to settle with her on the couch to watch TV, but she had been so distracted and couldn't get over the idea that she had cheated on him, so instead he had decided to take her to logical side of his brain told him that, yes, she had cheated on him. He should be angry, he should feel hurt, maybe even violated, but he couldn't get the image of her in bed with Gibbs out of his mind, and it definitely wasn't <em>hurting<em>him, in fact it was doing quite the opposite.

He knew she had been in bed with Gibbs. Not just because she had admitted it, but because she tasted different than usual and he suspected it had something to do with Gibbs. Again, he surprised himself by deciding he enjoyed the taste rather than being repulsed by the idea. God, they were so perfect together, they even tasted right together.

"Tony, Tony, Tony…" she panted, her fingers tightening in his hair. "Right there, please Tony… OH-"

Tony continued to flick his tongue against her clit as she rode through her orgasm. Once she was done, he tuned his mouth to the smooth skin just to the side of her folds, sucking until he was sure he'd left a mark – just because he could – and then scooted up to cradle her in his arms until she was ready to speak again.

"Let me return the favor?"

"No."

Abby pulled back, shocked. "What? Why? Is it because of what I did with Gibbs? Oh fuck, we didn't use a condom, I didn't even think, you could probably, oh Tony could you taste…?" she covered her face with her hands. She didn't think the night could get any worse.

"No no no, that's not what I mean." Tony pushed her hands down. "I meant, I don't want your mouth on me tonight, I just want to make love to you, show you that we're okay. And let's not talk about the fact that I can taste him in you, I'm a little freaked out by the fact that I guess I enjoyed it. I don't know what that means."

"Enjoyed it?" Abby tilted her head to the side. That was new. For all she knew, Tony had never been interested in men – though he'd commented on Gibbs' good looks a time or two. "Something you need to tell me?"

"No," Tony shoved two fingers between her legs making her moan. "Just making sure I didn't suck you dry," he smirked before rolling over her, pushing into her with a lazy thrust.

The clung to each other tightly, moving together easily, touching, kissing and licking anywhere within reach while they remained joined. Eventually, Abby pushed him onto his back and straddled him, linking her fingers with his, riding him slowly, keeping eye contact until Tony looked away, pressing his head back against the pillow as his hips snapped upward as he came.

"You've been so stressed lately, but I love how relaxed you look when we're in bed." Abby leaned forward to kiss him, long and slow.

Eventually sliding off of him and curling against his side, ignoring the sticky mess between her legs.

"It's what you do to me. Love you."

"Love you too."

The following morning they woke up to find the alarm had been going for 15 minutes. "I'm a mess," She directed Tony toward the shower.

"You made this mess, you should clean it up in the shower."

"See… you need to spend time with Gibbs. All that sex last night, and now in the shower? Without him, not sure I could keep up with you." When he saw her tense up at the mention of Gibbs' name, he leaned over to kiss her. "Relax. I didn't mean to stress you out. I'll go start the shower. If you're not scrubbing my back in five minutes, I'm throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you to the shower myself."

As soon as he was out of the room Abby forced herself out of bed, stripping the sheets and tossing them into the hamper before following Tony into the bathroom. He grinned widely at her when she pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in, accepting the wash cloth and his body-wash of choice. He turned so she could scrub his back and shoulders, wiggling his ass until she slapped it with a resounding smack.

When she finished with his shoulders, and back and butt cheeks, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and trailed a finger down this spine.

"Have you ever thought about…?" She wiggled a finger between his cheeks.

"I…" Tony gulped and leaned forward, supporting himself against the tiled wall. "I don't know."

"I've heard it can be great." Abby ran her finger lightly along his crack until she saw some of the tension in his shoulders relax.

"Maybe, yeah, if you want-"

"It's up to you Tony." It wasn't something she'd ever thought of before, but something in the back of her mind told her to ask – something about his comment about their boss the night before.

"Yeah… yeah, okay… let's… sure," he widened his stance slightly.

Abby pressed another kiss to his shoulder. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Tony nodded and listened as she stepped out of the shower. He could hear her rummaging around in the bathroom cabinet and then a few seconds later she was standing behind him again. "What'd you get?"

"This." She held up a bottle of KY. "It'll make it easier."

"Do I want to know why you know about anal sex?" Tony laughed nervously.

"I had an ex who wanted me to stick all sorts of… _things_up his butt. Ultimately it's why we broke up."

"Never mind. I don't want to know. But Abby, go slow. I've never done anything like this, I don't know if… just go slow."

"Of course. If you want to stop, we'll stop." With one hand Abby gripped his dick and within minutes had him thrusting into her hand. "Atta  
>boy… nice and relaxed." As she continued to slide her hand over his dick, she traced over his butt with her other hand, working a finger between his cheeks, just lightly tracing over his hole.<p>

Tony groaned when her hand disappeared from his cock. He vaguely heard the click of the bottle and then her hand returned, tugging lightly at his balls and then smoothing up his length. He didn't notice that her finger had returned to his ass until he felt the pad of her finger push against the tight ring of muscle. He tried to focus on the pleasure he felt from her hand still stroking him.

As her finger pushed inside of him, he found himself wondering what something bigger would feel like. Would he like it? Would it be something he'd enjoy? He and Abby occasionally played with toys, and the thought had never crossed his mind, but now… he wondered what it would be like if someone like Gibbs fucked him. _Wait, what? Why am I thinking about Gibbs and me and…_He hardened further and panic took over and Tony tensed. "Stop. I want to stop."

"Oh God, did I hurt you?" Abby stepped back.

"No. I just… I don't know. It was just weird. Nothing to do with you, c'mere baby." Tony turned and pulled her into his arms.

"Couldn't have been _that_weird…" Abby noted the hardness pressing against her hip and wiggled, working a moan from him.

"Fuck you and your fucking ability to have me so fucking hard just about any time you fucking want."

"That's a lot of 'fucks' Tony." Abby shifted them around so that she was under the stream of water, pretending to ignore the way Tony was eyeing her and the stream of water running down the side of her face, down her neck and over her breasts.

"That's because that's what I want to do. With you. Right now."

"With me? So sweet." Abby offered her most innocent smile. "But we don't want to be late for work, do we?"

Tony moved in close, a predatory look on his face. "Then let's not be late."

* * *

><p>Gibbs looked up when Tony stepped out of the elevator, a little extra something in his step.<p>

"Morning Probette, Probie… hey boss."

Gibbs glanced at the little clock in the bottom corner of his computer screen. Technically Tony was eight minutes late, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. The way things had been left the night before, he had no idea what sort of shape Abby was in, but judging by the smile on Tony's face, he figured she was ok. "Is Abby in yet?"

Tony glanced across the squad room and nodded. "I saw her in the lobby talking to Marie from accounting. Something about her having gotten a tattoo and yeah… they were squeeing."

"Squeeing?" Gibbs raised a brow.

"Yeah, you know they were all 'ahhh… eee…' and whatever. And yeah, you knew what I meant. Shutting up now boss." Tony sent a glare in McGee's direction when the other man chuckled. The day flew by and Tony mostly didn't have time to think about dinner with both Abby and Gibbs. And by the time they'd locked Mickey Stokes away, he'd almost headed home when Abby appeared, hovering quietly around his desk.

"You still up for tonight?"

Abby glanced at Gibbs who was pretending not to listen. "Yeah. I uh, I think I'll drive myself though. So I'll meet you there?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm headed out now, but I think I've got time to grab a quick shower. So I'll see you there."

Abby nodded and then turned toward Gibbs desk, pausing only long enough to whisper _see you there,_before disappearing into the elevator.

* * *

><p>"What are we doing here, Tony?" Abby's fingers tapped nervously on the table.<p>

"Having dinner."

"With Gibbs."

"With Gibbs," Tony confirmed.

"Why?"

"To show you that you don't need him to be out of your life. He's staying at NCIS, we're all staying at NCIS and you _know_how awkward it would be if we can't be relaxed around each other. You love him. I know that and I'm okay with it because I know you love me too."

"I do!" Abby broke in.

"I know you do. And I want you happy. As much as I want to think that I could fill that gap for you, no one will ever replace Gibbs."

"I-" Abby looked up to see Gibbs approaching. "Hey." She noted his hesitation before deciding on sitting beside her in the booth. She glanced across the table at Tony as she reached for the menus, and passed one to Gibbs.

"Hey yourself. DiNozzo," Gibbs greeted politely. "You two already know what you're having?"

"I do," Tony nodded. "I get the same thing every time. Abby?"

"Can't decide between the soup and the chicken wrap."

"What's the soup today?"

"White bean."

"I've tried it; don't think you'll like it. They use fennel in it."

Abby wrinkled her nose. "They do? Well then, I guess I've decided. Chicken wrap it is."

"Sounds good…" Gibbs scanned the menu.

Tony watched as Abby slowly relaxed. There was something about the way Gibbs knew her, knew her likes and dislikes. He watched the way Abby tried not to look at him, she tried to keep her arms from accidentally touching the man beside her.

"Everyone ready or do you need a few more minutes?" A plump older woman stood by their table, a small note pad ready in hand.

"I think we're ready," Abby glanced at the two men to be sure. "I will have the chicken wrap with a salad instead of fries."

"M'kay, and you?" The waitress looked at Tony.

"Yeah, I'll have the mushroom burger, can you add a slice of pepper-jack cheese to it? And I'll do fries."

"That sounds good, I'll have the same without the pepper-jack cheese."

"What about something to drink?"

"Water," both Tony and Abby responded.

"Coffee for me. Black," Gibbs added before she could ask about cream and sugar.

"So…" Abby fidgeted nervously, her gaze on the table. Tony was about to speak, when Abby started again. "You're really staying at NCIS? For good? No… running away again?" She looked up at Gibbs through her lashes.

"Yeah."

"Because I get that you've had a lot of shitty stuff happen in your life, but if you leave like that again…" Abby shook her head and focused her attention on the small dessert card on the table.

"I won't."

"You'd better not, because so help me God…" Abby sat back and glared at Gibbs. "Do you realize how much you hurt me? How much you hurt _him_?" She jerked her chin toward Tony.

"I…" Just then the waitress passed by and Gibbs caught her attention. "Do you think you could have our stuff put in boxes to go? I'll pay the bill now." Gibbs pulled his wallet out and handed her his card and then turned back to Abby and Tony. "We need to settle this, and I think somewhere a little more private is in order. We can go to my place."

They all drove separately to Gibbs house, and Tony waited for Abby to pull up before walking up to the front door. Gibbs opened the door for them as they approached and they followed him to the table where he'd set their food.

"You hurt us Gibbs and I don't think you quite get how much." Abby said firmly. She'd had everything she wanted to say planned out in her head, but now that she was facing him, she couldn't remember half of it.

"I know how much I hurt you, I see it every time I look at you and it kills me inside," Gibbs said, showing a rare bit of open emotion. "And Tony, I shouldn't have just handed you the badge, I'm… I'm sorry. To both of you."

"Good." Abby pulled out her chair and sat down. "I forgive you."

Tony hid a smile at the shocked look on Gibbs' face and sat down.

"That… that's it? I'm forgiven?"

"I forgive you, but you'll have to ask Tony if he's forgiven you, I don't speak for him."

"If you wanted to leave the team with me, I'd rather have had that conversation, however brief, in private, but yeah… I get why you had to leave. I mean, I don't get it because I've never had a wife or… or daughter, but I get that you needed to get away. We're good."

Gibbs had been expected a long evening of anger and him having to explain over and over again why he couldn't stay, but as Abby tucked into her meal, he couldn't help the grin. "Thank you." He reached out to touch her cheek, but stopped halfway and dropped his hand to cover hers instead.

The rest of the evening went well, and it didn't take long for them to sit around and chat like friends – real friends – and talk about work, Fornell and the FBI, and the highlights of Mexico. Gibbs told them a bit more about Franks, and Tony and Abby filled him in on the happenings around NCIS in the past few months.

Both Tony and Abby were relieved that with Gibbs back, Michelle was off the team again. "… because really, she just needs to eat a cheeseburger and get it over with. Once Tony asked her to bring me _something_to drink and she brought me water. Really? Am I supposed to analyze the finger prints of 80 people with a glass of water in my hand? I don't think so."

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head. "No… no you shouldn't have to do that."

"Thank you!"

What surprised Gibbs the most (after the fact that Abby had so easily forgiven him) was how different Tony was when they weren't in a work setting. The younger man had matured while he was away, and it suited him. He smiled genuinely, and didn't try to impress anyone with lame jokes and far-fetched movie references.

It was late by the time Tony and Abby were slipping into their jackets to head home. Probably together, and it hit Gibbs a little harder than he'd would have liked to admit.. They promised to do dinner again, the three of them, next week, and he watches from the window as they head to their own cars, sharing a quick kiss before going their separate ways.

* * *

><p>It's Halloween before their status quo hits a snag. Until then Tony isn't sure if Abby and Gibbs have done anything more than grab a cup of coffee together. He's reassured her time and time again that if she needs Gibbs, then… he's okay with it. But there have been a few times where he's caught her staring at the older man, a dreamy look on her face. He doesn't call her out, because he knows it'd only make her stress, so he lets his gaze follow hers to land on their boss.<p>

Then a Marine's daughter is kidnapped, and everything goes to hell. As soon as they got the call, Gibbs' demeanor changed. Although he wasn't open with his emotion, Tony was able to pick up on all the little signs that told him it was going to be a long, emotional case.  
>Despite the stress, Abby managed to shine a bit of light on the darkness surrounding the case. Tony was well aware of the fact that she had been headed to a Halloween party that night, but when Palmer came through the squad room with a big grin on his face, he knew she'd been called in.<p>

Both Tony and McGee stood side-by-side in the doorway of the lab minutes later. Usually Tony didn't like McGee drooling over her, but in this case, he couldn't put enough brain cells together to tell the other man to stop.

"Sorry I'm late, guys. I couldn't hear my cell phone. You'd think it would be quieter in a cemetery, but apparently not when a Halloween party is in progress. Anyway, I'm worried about this little girl, Halloween is no time to go missing. I'm running the prints _as we speak._" When she didn't get a response, Abby turned, her white Marilyn Monroe dress swishing elegantly around her legs. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have food in my teeth or something?"

"Or something…" Tony couldn't help but imagine the million ways he'd love to strip her out of her dress. And just as his eyes started to gloss over, a firm hand hit the back of his head. "Oh, boss… was just heading… yeah, bye Abby." He grabbed McGee by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back to the elevator.

"Aww, Gibbs. Was that necessary….?" Her words trailed off at the mix of both pain and something akin to need in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Will be. Just need to find this little girl."

"You will." Abby reached out and covered his hand with hers as she rattled off everything she's found so far.

"Thanks Abbs." He'd tried to keep from kissing her cheek since he had returned, but he couldn't help himself and he let his lips linger a second longer then he knew he should.

The next several hours passed in a quick blur but soon Abby found herself going from desk to desk in the squad room with a young girl in hand. "Trick-or-treat," they both say, and little Sarah holds out a small bag for candy.

"I don't have-" Tony gave an apologetic shrug, unwilling to share his secret stash.

Abby cut him off with a glare and then reached around to his desk drawer, digging several pieces of candy out to put in Sarah's bag. "Come on Sarah. I know a few more desks we can hit."

Tony took one of the last bits of candy and popped it in his mouth as they walked away. Something drew his eyes up toward the director's office and he spotted Gibbs leaning against the railing, a cup of coffee in his hand. It was clear he was watching Abby walk the little girl around from desk to desk, but he couldn't quiet tell if he was reliving his own memories of Halloween in years past, or if he was just tired and it was a rare moment of exhaustion on the older man's face. Maybe it was both.

Gibbs left for the night without saying goodbye to anyone, simply grabbed his stuff and headed out. No one tried to stop him, or question him, they just watched him leave – gathering their things to do the same as soon as he was gone.

Since Abby had caught a cab from the party, Tony waited for her to gather her things and then led her to his car. But instead of driving to her place (or his), Tony directed his car down Gibbs' street. "I think he needs you."

Deciding he needed to check for himself that Gibbs was okay, Tony followed Abby up the front step and into the house. They found Gibbs sitting on the couch, his head cradled in his hands.

"Oh, Gibbs…" Abby set her purse just inside the front door and went to him, wrapping her arms around him as tight as possible.

"I uh, just wanted to be sure you're okay. But, uh, I'll head out. See you tomo-"

"Stay, DiNozzo."

When Gibbs looked up, his blue eyes clouded, Tony could help but nod in agreement. "Um, ok… I'll go turn the coffee machine on." He needed an out from the intensity of the moment.

Gibbs nodded and settled back on the couch, allowing Abby to move under his arm and press her face to his neck.

By the time they were all comfortable with their mugs of coffee (which Tony had tried his hardest to make the way Gibbs did), the visible tension in Gibbs' shoulders was somewhat relieved. Tony noted that his hands were relaxed, and the hold he had on his coffee wasn't white-knuckled. Part of it likely had to do with the way the fingers on his other hand were running through Abby's hair, but he could only speak from his own personal experience.

"The Halloween before she died… she dressed as a princess. I took her out trick-or-treating while Shannon stayed home to pass out candy."

Both Tony and Abby stayed quiet. Gibbs didn't seem to be talking to them, more remembering out loud.

"She was thrilled with the amount of candy she got, but Shannon was horrified. Offered to buy some of it from her. Kel wanted fair market value and they never were able to come to an agreement. I told her she'd better hide it good, otherwise mom would find it. Told me she'd split up and hid it in different places."

Gibbs remembered them sitting in her room eating some of the candy together. He wasn't big on sweets like that, but Kelly had felt rebellious asking her father in for a secret meeting about her candy, so he'd accepted the pieces she offered.

"Never knew where she hid it all. I assume she ate most of it, but when I came back… after they… after they were gone, I found some candy hidden in the basement. She knew her mother would never search down there."

They sat quietly a while longer until Tony decided to speak up. "I never went trick-or-treating. My parents always hosted a Halloween cocktail party, so they put me put the TV-room with a glass of sparkling cider and a bag of candy from the grocery store. Wasn't allowed out unless I went to my room or to the bathroom. Dad said that if he saw me, he'd send my Christmas presents to some poor kids in China."

"Not a big fan of your father, Tony." Gibbs looked at him, a sad expression on his face.

"Yeah, well… here's hoping you'll never meet. And, uh… I know it doesn't change anything, but most kids would chew off their right arm for a parent like you."

Gibbs acknowledged him with a little nod and then sipped his coffee.

They sat quietly a while longer until Abby set her empty coffee cup down and stretched out her long legs. "Alright, it's getting late. Get some sleep, Gibbs." She knew he wouldn't, but she felt a little better having said it.

Tony was first to the door and handed Abby her purse. He started down the steps and turned in time to see Abby lean in to press a gentle kiss to Gibbs' lips. It was simple and almost chaste, but he could see Gibbs visibly relax. He knew first-hand how much comfort and love  
>Abby could put into a simple kiss and for a split second he wished he could offer Gibbs similar comfort.<p>

As soon as they were in the car Tony said, "if you want to stay, it's okay."

"I've done what I can do for tonight. He needs a little time with the boat. He'll be okay." Abby reached across the center console and laced her fingers with Tony's. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, the morning before Abby's birthday, Tony was mid-shave when the doorbell rang. Wearing only a pair of gym shorts he headed for the door and was surprised to see Gibbs there. "Hey…" He glanced at the clock on his DVD player. "I'm not late for work, am I?"<p>

"No. Is Abby here?"

"Nope," Tony shook his head. "She had plans with the nuns last night."

"Good. I um, I want to take her out to dinner tonight. Wanted to make sure that'd be okay."

Tony shrugged. "I don't know her schedule; you'll have to ask her."

"No, I know that. Wanted to make sure it was okay with you. That you didn't have plans already."

"Yeah, it's fine. And I meant what I said awhile back. I… you guys have something special. I don't need to be in the way of that."

"I'll see you at work." Gibbs turned at left.

* * *

><p>Abby had been both surprised and thrilled when Gibbs asked to take her out for dinner. She'd said yes with an enthusiastic hug and then had given him the DNA results he had been after with a little extra hop in her step.<p>

Dinner had been a relaxed affair, and at the end both found they were too full for dessert. "Maybe we should grab something to go. Maybe Tony would meet us back at my place for coffee and a slice of cake," Gibbs suggested. The grin on Abby's face grew, and Gibbs knew he'd made the right choice.

"You order dessert to go, and I'll just step into the ladies room to call him." Abby excused herself, and her hand caught his shoulder as she passed, giving him a gentle squeeze.

Tony had been a little unsure, but two bites into the rich chocolate cake and he was over any insecurity about spending time with the two. At midnight, Gibbs ushered them down the stairs to the basement for a shot of bourbon to celebrate the fact that it was officially her birthday.

"That stuff is awful," Abby shuddered. "Fill 'er up."

As the conversation began to lull, Gibbs decided that while they weren't stumbling over their feet, they'd had too much to drink. "I'll put clean sheets on the guest bed, neither of you are fit to drive."

"Yeah yeah, okay. I've got a go-bag in my car."

While Tony went to grab his stuff, and Gibbs went in search of sheets for the guest bed, Abby dug through Gibbs' drawer in search of a shirt to borrow. Tony found her first and produced a spare tooth brush. Gibbs waited until they were done before getting ready for bed, and when he went to say good night, he found the door to the guest bedroom already shut.

He felt his gut twist, but instead of knocking he turned toward his own room. He stopped in the doorway at the shape of two people already under the covers. When the floor creaked under his feet, Abby turned to him with a smile. "You told me a long time ago that I'd never have to spend another night in the guest room. Bed is big enough for all of us."

"Abby…" This was beyond his comfort level.

"It's my birthday, Gibbs. I just want to spend it safe between my two favorite fellas. Please?"

It was only one night. Gibbs hit the light and scowled in the dark. Abby was right about the bed being big enough, but sleeping next to her would be a test of his will, even with DiNozzo just on the other side. As soon as he was flat, Abby had an arm over his chest and she scooted closer to press a kiss to his bare shoulder. "Thanks for everything, Gibbs."

"Night Abbs. Night Tony."

"Night boss."

Gibbs could feel the bed shift as Tony rolled over and wrapped an arm around Abby's middle. When Gibbs felt his fingers brush his belly, he froze. This was going to be one hell of a night. But even with two extra people in his bed, Gibbs managed to fall asleep quickly. And when he woke several hours later, he was surprised to find himself curled up around Abby, his arm stretched over her, his hand resting on Tony.

He was well-rested and comfortable, and for the first time in months, he didn't feel the need to jump out of bed and get going with his day, he was content to relax.

Suddenly an alarm went off – one Gibbs had never heard before, and Tony reached for the bedside to turn it off.

"What time is it?" Abby sleepy voice broke through.

"Shh, still early," Tony soothed. "I've got basketball at the gym with a couple guys from my complex, remember? Go back to sleep."

"Uh huh…" Abby rolled over and snuggled against Gibbs chest.

"I'll either pick her up later, or you can drive her home?" Tony whispered to Gibbs as he pulled the jeans he'd been wearing the night before  
>on over his boxers.<p>

"Yeah. I'll get her home."

"Ok. See ya later. Happy Birthday, babe." He bent over to kiss the top of her head.

When the front door closed, and he heard Tony's car pull away, Gibbs looked down at Abby. She was asleep again, and he couldn't get over how beautiful she was when her face was void of its usual mask of makeup. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate when her lips were painted with her bright red lipstick, but there was something about the vulnerability that shone through when she wore nothing.

Closing his eyes, Gibbs managed to doze a while longer. The next time she stirred, he looked at her again and was surprised to find her green eyes looking back. "Happy birthday, Abbs."

She smiled warmly at him and pressed a kiss to his chest. "Thank you. Thanks for not kicking us out last night."

"I'd never kick you out and you know it."

"You could've kicked Tony out."

Gibbs shook his head, "Nah."

She smiled again and Gibbs couldn't help but lean in to kiss her. "Don't think I told you enough before, but you're beautiful."

"Thank you."

With her response Abby kissed him back and the moment her tongue sought access to his, Gibbs couldn't hold back any longer. He asked her eight times between kisses, removing the shirt she'd borrowed and removing his boxers, if she was okay with what they were doing – he didn't want a repeat of the last time.

She assured him every time he asked that she knew what she was doing, and what she wanted. And by the time he pushed into her she cried out happily and pulled him in for one of the most demanding kisses she'd ever bestowed on him.

Abby stretched and arched under him, pulling and pushing at just the right moments. By the time they were done the sun was high in the sky and Abby wasn't sure if she would ever be able to move again. "Best. Birthday. Ever," she sighed happily as Gibbs traced an abstract pattern across her stomach.

"I love you, Abby."

* * *

><p>None of them thought anything of the odd relationship the three of them seemed to have formed. Tony wasn't 100% sure that Abby and Gibbs weren't hooking up on the side, but his needs were being met, and the majority of their free time, the three of them spent together. It wasn't often that the three of them spent the night together, but when they did, it wasn't a big deal, and they all piled in to Gibbs bed without a second thought.<p>

On the rare occasion where Abby had to back out of an afternoon together to help the nuns, neither Tony nor Gibbs found it weird that they still spent the time together – watching a game on TV or going for a run through the park or to the shooting range.

* * *

><p>The more time they spent together outside of work, the less Gibbs looked at Tony as just a co-worked and more of a friend. Family, even<p>

When Christmas rolled around, Abby spent more and more time at the church, organizing a Christmas day dinner and movie for the homeless. But even with her time spread so thin between NCIS and church, Abby managed to pull together a Christmas Eve dinner for the team at her apartment. Tony and Gibbs were the first to arrive and the last to leave. In the end Tony decided to stay, but Gibbs had 'plans' and they suspected it had to do with Shannon and Kelly so they said nothing. But he stayed after the rest of the team had left to help clean up.

"I'll see you at church tomorrow," Gibbs pulled Abby into a tight hug.

"You're coming?"

"Called Rosita to ask if they needed any extra volunteers to help with serving."

"She's thrilled, I'm sure." Abby turned her head to look at Tony. "Rosita loves him. If you've anything to say to him, say it now. Rosita will keep him to herself tomorrow."

"Well in that case," Tony laughed and extended a hand. "Merry Christmas."

Gibbs took it and dropped his hold on Abby to pull Tony into a hug and then pressed a quick kiss to his temple.

Abby hid her smile and pretended not to see it or the shocked look on Tony's face, and then moved in to hug Gibbs one last time before he left, accepting the kiss to her lips without hesitation.

The more time they spent together, the more open Gibbs was. Tony noticed that he smiled more, shared more of his past (although he was still guarded when it came to Shannon and Kelly, only sharing bits and pieces here and there), and was almost openly affectionate toward Abby compared to the quick kisses he'd share with her in the beginning when he thought Tony wouldn't notice.

And Tony found himself wondering more and more about the kiss to the temple he'd gotten on Christmas Eve. Occasionally his fingers would move there as if he was trying to remember exactly what it felt like. As they relaxed more around each other, Abby was more open about the fact that sometimes she needed a night alone with Gibbs, and rather than sulk about once he got home, Tony found himself jerking off into a tissue at the thought of what they might be doing. He wondered what they would say if he indicated he wanted to watch.

Occasionally he felt a stirring in his groin when he thought of Gibbs naked, but he was quick to push those thoughts aside because he wasn't interested in _Gibbs. _Only in what he was sure Gibbs was doing to Abby. Tony nodded to himself as he slipped out of his boxers for the second time that week, grasping his leaking dick in one hand and holding a tissue to the head with the other. Wondering if Gibbs used his tongue the same way he did, wondering if Gibbs like head the way he did, if he liked the way Abby made all the right noises at just the right time. Wondering if Gibbs… Tony grunted as he came and then fell back on the bed. This was going to be a problem.

* * *

><p>When Navy Lt. Roni Seabrook was found dead in a robotic car, Gibbs knew it would be a long case. The entire basis of the case centered on technology he didn't understand. He sent McGee to work with Abby to figure out how much exhaust got into the cabin. He expected that between the two of them, they'd have it figured out in no time so he could close the case and go back to glaring at technology from a safe distance.<p>

What he didn't expect, when he went down to check on them, was to find Abby slumped over in a car full of exhaust. He barely recognized that McGee was sitting a few feet away, his headphones preventing him from hearing the hum of the cars motor.

Slamming his hand against the emergency button, Gibbs grabbed the fire extinguisher and rushed to the side of the car opposite Abby to prevent the glass from shattering in her face. He hit the kill switch and pushed rushed around the other side. McGee was suddenly right behind him, the commotion, causing him to look up from the laptop. "Call 911, _now!_"

Gibbs pried the door open and unbuckled Abby, pulling her from the seat and lowering her gently to the floor. "Abby…" Gibbs patted her cheeks and checked for a pulse.

The elevator opened and Tony, Ziva and two security guards fell out, their guns drawn. "What is… Oh God." Tony holstered his gun and rushed forward.

"Ambulance is on its way, boss." McGee stood looking down at Abby, unsure of what to do.

"What happened?" Tony asked to anyone who could answer.

"We… were trying to figure out how the car got filled with so much exhaust. I was listening to some recordings and I was only turned away for a few minutes and… I… I don't know what happened?"

"She was passed out when I got here," Gibbs looked up at Tony, his eyes wide with fear. "She's breathing, but barely."

Suddenly the elevators opened again and Ducky rushed forward with an oxygen tank. "Ziva called…"

Gibbs took the mask and placed it over Abby's face. "Abbs… come on, wake up." Within minutes they heard the siren of an ambulance so Tony and Ziva opened the garage doors to direct them in. Once they had her on their own system of oxygen they put her on a stretcher and loaded her up. Gibbs didn't think twice about following into the ambulance and turned to wave Tony in.

Tony had one foot up when he turned to McGee. "If anything happens to her, I will _never_forgive you."

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Actually, I really kinda do feel awful about ending the chapter this way. Really.


	6. Chapter 6

Wow! Not thrilled with the way the last chapter ended, eh? Some pretty entertaining pms. Keep 'em coming. *lol*

**Part Six**

Ziva, Ducky and McGee arrived at the hospital a short while later and they joined Tony and Gibbs as they waited quietly for word on Abby.

"Doctor Mallard?" A middle aged woman in scrubs and a lab coat stepped inside the waiting room.

"Doctor Evans, I haven't seen you since… well, far too long." Ducky stood and shook the woman's hand.

"You aren't here for Abigail Sciuto, are you?"

"We all are." Tony stood quickly, and they moved to one area of the waiting room.

"Have a seat," Doctor Evans told them. "Without knowing exactly how much carbon monoxide she inhaled or for how long, it's hard for us to get a full view of what's going on with her. The only thing we can do at this point is keep her on 100% oxygen. Fortunately, I think we've by-passed any danger of cardiac arrest at this point."

"So she'll be okay?" Tony asked hopefully.

"I won't lie. Carbon monoxide poisoning is serious and honestly, it's still hard to tell at this point. Roughly 30% of patients with severe carbon monoxide poisoning have fatal outcome. That number jumps to 70% when the carboxyhemoglobin to hemoglobin ratio is above 25%. She was pretty close."

"So what exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying that she's not out of the woods yet. My professional opinion tells me that she'll survive, but one of the major concerns following acute carbon monoxide poisoning is the severe delayed neurological manifestations that may occur. That can include difficulty with higher intellectual functions, short-term memory loss, dementia, amnesia, psychosis, irritability, a strange gait, speech disturbances, cortical blindness, and depression."

Tony paled. "When… how will you know?"

"We won't until she wakes up. It's a waiting game now."

"Will… will you know right away?"

"Yes and no. There have been cases where delayed neurological damage is possible and has shown up as long as 40 days after poisoning, but given her age and overall good health, I would say that any neurological damage would be apparent in the first 24hrs. But for now, go home. Get some rest. I'm not expecting her to wake any time soon, but if she does, you'll be notified. Any other questions?"

Ducky waited to see if anyone had any other questions, but when no one spoke up he stood and thanked Doctor Evans and walked her to the door of the waiting room.

"DiNozzo, you stay with her, just in case. McGee, Ziva we're back at NCIS. I want whomever is responsible for this caught." Gibbs avoided eye contact with McGee. He couldn't afford to let personal opinion to cloud his judgment.

When McGee and Ziva were out of range, Gibbs turned to Tony. "I'll come and pick you up when visiting hours are over."

Tony nodded and turned away.

* * *

><p>Both the afternoon and the case were a blur to Gibbs. He continuously checked his phone, knowing that Tony would call him first if there was even a hint of change with Abby. When they had everything wrapped up for the night he left McGee and Ziva and drove himself to the hospital.<p>

He stopped outside her room, trying to get a firm grasp on his emotions. It was easier at NCIS, but here at the hospital was a different story.

Gibbs watched Tony as the younger man stood by her bedside, his shoulders drooped in defeat. It was getting dark and the nurse told Gibbs he'd only have a few minutes with her before they would need to leave, but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt Tony.

"Come on Abby, wake up for me. For Gibbs… for everyone that loves you. I never thought I would ever have anything half as special as what I have with you and Gibbs. I can't lose you, because I don't know what I'll do. I can't have you be my Shannon."

Gibbs had to step back a moment at that and take a deep breath before going in. "Tony… it's time to go." He stepped up beside him and grasped his shoulder as he took in the sight of Abby, her black hair a stark contrast to the crisp white hospital linins. "No change?"

"No," Tony shook his head. "But the thingy measuring the oxygen in her blood shows that most of the carbon monoxide is out. The oxygen they've been giving her shortens the half-life or something."

They were interrupted by one of the nurses. "I'm sorry, but you two will have to leave. Visiting hours start at 8 tomorrow."

Gibbs directed Tony through the hospital and out to his car, driving them both back to his place. Tony was a ball of nervous energy, his fingers tapping, his knee bouncing… he just couldn't stop.

"How can you be so calm?" Tony finally snapped once they were inside Gibbs' house. "Did you not see what happened? Have you forgotten that she's _unconscious_? You just stood there like it was part of the job. Like you were checking on suspect, glad they weren't dead so you can throw them in jail. You said _nothing_ to her! I thought you loved her! I thought we were a family now." At the end of his tirade he slumped back against the door frame, obviously exhausted.

"You done?"

"Yeah," Tony nodded.

"I can't think about it too much, because I can't lose her. Not like that." Gibbs shook his head and turned to look out the window. "If I had lost her to you and she was happy… I would be okay. But to lose her… lose her like I lost them. It'd kill me. So I can't… she'll be okay."

"Gibbs, I'm sorry. I didn't-" It wasn't Gibbs' fault and he knew it. Hell, because of Gibbs they got her out of the car sooner rather than later.

"I have to believe what the doctors tell me. They tell me she'll be okay and I have to believe that."

"I just… seeing her like that, I can't even… I love her and I can't lose this," he shrugged sadly.

"Tony," Gibbs turned to look at him. "She'll be okay and even if… I'm not going anywhere. We'll be okay."

Tony looked at him with tired curiosity, but kept his mouth shut. He figured that if something happened to Abby he would be alone again. Maybe an occasional beer or a trip to the shooting range, but that was it. Gibbs was fond of him, but he didn't think he really felt anything beyond friendship for him despite their somewhat awkward situation. On the rare occasion they had all spent the night at Gibbs, Gibbs had always flinched or pulled away if Tony's hand accidentally brushed his.

"Come on, let's go to bed. Abby needs us to be well rested. Doc said there was a good chance she'd wake up tomorrow. We can't let her see us with dark circles under our eyes." Before Tony could question where he should sleep, Gibbs grabbed his go-bag and carried it upstairs, tossing it on the master bed on his way through to the master bathroom.

By the time Tony finished up in the bathroom down the hall and timidly stepped back into the bedroom, Gibbs was sitting on the edge of the bed, his face cradled in his hands. "Boss?"

"I'm fine DiNozzo, lay down." Gibbs stood and pulled back the covers and lay down.

Tony followed Gibbs' lead but kept to the edge of the bed, his back turned toward Gibbs. This was new territory for them, not having Abby in the middle. He listened as Gibbs clicked off the bedside lamp and then settled. He froze when he felt Gibbs reached out, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him back until his back was flush against Gibbs' chest. He felt Gibbs' face against his shoulder and when his boss let out a shuddering sigh, he dropped his hand to cover Gibbs'. "She'll be okay. You won't lose her. Neither of us will." He felt Gibbs nod.

"Meant what I said earlier, not going anywhere."

Tony didn't quite know what Gibbs meant, but he liked the sound of it. "Me either."

* * *

><p>Tony woke feeling somewhat rested. He wasn't surprised that Gibbs was already in the kitchen, hovering over the coffee machine, but he was surprised to see that the man looked as though he hadn't slept at all.<p>

They moved silently around each other as they got ready and headed out to the car. The ride to the hospital was quiet and Tony found himself watching Gibbs from the corner of his eye. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his boss so rundown. He looked like shit after the explosion, but Tony figured that didn't count.

Ziva called on the way in to say that she'd figured out what happened and got a confession out of Dr. Pike. Gibbs told her he was en route to see Abby and that he'd call with an update.

"Talk to McGee at all?"

"Nope."

"Afraid of doing something you'll regret?"

"Regret? No." Gibbs shook his head.

"It's not his fault boss."

"Weren't you the one to threaten him just before getting into the ambulance yesterday?"

Tony gave a sad laugh. "Yeah. Meant what I said, too. But I just… he loved her too, once upon a time. Probably still does. How do you get over loving Abby?"

"You don't."

They were silent the rest of the way, and their shoes heavy on the hospital floor. Tony followed faithfully behind Gibbs as they headed down the long hospital corridor. Just before they reached the door to Abby's room a nurse stepped out.

"Oh, wonderful, she's awake now. Bit of a headache, but I've just given her something that should take the edge off."

The guys headed in and both let out a sigh of relief to see Abby awake and drinking from a juice box.

"Didn't happen to bring a Caf-Pow! did you?" She looked at them expectantly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"God you're a sight for sore eyes," Tony let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Missed you guys. No fun sleeping alone."

"Unconscious isn't sleeping."

"Semantics." She watched them approach her bed. "You look like shit, Gibbs. No offense."

He ignored the comment and sat on the edge of her bed and leaned forward to pull her into a hug, pressing his face against her neck and inhaling deeply.

"How're you feeling?" Tony reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm okay. My head hurts, but otherwise… I don't feel sick to my stomach or anything." She leaned back against the pillows and let the hand that had been on Gibbs' shoulder slide down his arm to his hand. "Nurse said I could leave tomorrow, they want to keep me one more night."

"You uh… were poisoned, Abbs. It's probably for the best that they keep an eye on you one more night." He'd prefer all forty nights if there was the possibility of any neurological damage showing up within forty days. But then again, the idea of not being able to sleep beside her for forty nights wasn't top of his list, even if he had Gibbs.

"But I'd rather leave with you guys. Can we stay together for a few days once I'm out? The three of us?"

Gibbs nodded and lifted her hand to his lips before finally speaking. "You guys can stay at my place, unless you'd be more comfortable at yours?"

"Yours. I feel safe there. And loved," she added with a smile.

Gibbs nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead and then got up so Tony could sit. He moved over to the window and stared out, half listening to what Tony and Abby were saying, and half thinking of how different the situation could be if he had gotten to her a few minutes later.

Tony eagerly moved into the space where Gibbs had sat and pulled Abby into a tight hug. "Don't think I'll be letting you out of my sight for quite a while, suppose the director would move your lab stuff up to the squad room?"

"I'm fine Tony, I promise." She held up her finger with the oxygen monitor and then pointed to the screen. "See, this says I'm okay now, too."

"Yeah yeah. Gonna take a while before I believe it." Tony glanced over at Gibbs and then lowered his voice. "Don't think he'll ever get over seeing you trapped in the car."

Abby frowned. "Gibbs?"

"Yeah?" Gibbs turned away from the window and walked back over to the hospital bed.

"Thank you. For saving me."

Gibbs leaned in and kissed her gently, his hand resting on Tony's shoulder. "Love you."

"Abby!" McGee rushed in, followed by Ziva and Ducky. "Thank God you're okay, I don't know what I would have done… I'm so, so sorry. I only looked away for a few minutes I had no idea-"

"It's okay Timmy. I'm okay."

The rest of the day the entire team spent time around Abby. Gibbs was the only one to leave when the Director call and wanted him to go over the paperwork for the case and sign off on everything. He was only gone for a few hours, but they seemed to drag on until he made it back to the hospital just in time to hold Abby's hand as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"I've never been so scared in my life," Tony admitted once they were back at Gibbs', the emotion from the day finally hitting him.<p>

Gibbs tossed his car keys onto the table and slipped out of his jacket, dropping it over the back of a chair. He started toward the kitchen but paused when Tony didn't follow. "Tony?"

"I can't get over how close we were to losing her. And, I mean, I know she's okay and we've all spent our fair share in the hospital because the danger kind of comes with the territory, but not for her. She's not supposed to be in danger. What if-"

Gibbs hadn't seen Tony looking so weak since he was the one in the hospital bed with the plague. "Hey, she'll be alright." Gibbs walked back to Tony, pulled him into a hug and pressed his lips to his ear. "She'll be okay. We all will." Gibbs expected him to pull away after a few minutes, but when Tony wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tighter, he didn't let go. Instead and ran his fingers through Tony's hair and kept mumbling reassurances in his ear.

Eventually Tony let go, and Gibbs directed him to the couch. "I'm just going to put the coffee on, I'll be right back." He waited until Tony was seated and then went to fix them both coffee and called in an order of pizza. The only thing they'd had to eat during the day had been breakfast and the hospital meals she had refused. "Ordered us pizza, it'll be here soon."

"Thanks." Tony took the coffee and sipped it, pleased to find just the right amount of milk and sugar. "Good."

"You drink that shit almost as sweet as Abby does. That ain't coffee," Gibbs grumbled before sipping his own.

"So you think they'll let her leave the hospital tomorrow? Is it safe? Think we could borrow an oxygen tank just in case?"

Gibbs shook his head and pulled Tony closer until he was leaning back against Gibbs. "First of all, if the Ducky says she's okay to leave, then I'll believe she is. Second, if Abby hears you fussing like that over her once she's home tomorrow, she's going to slap the back of your head harder than I ever have."

"Hard to believe-"

"And third," Gibbs cut him off, "I think Ducky has an oxygen tank in the morgue we can borrow. Don't think she'd notice it if we put it in the guest room closet."

"So you don't think I'm crazy?"

"Based off of _this_ conversation? Nah." Gibbs liked the smile it brought to Tony's face.

"Gee, thanks boss."

"You know, you can call me Jethro if you want."

Tony tipped his head back to look at the older man. "Abby doesn't."

"Doesn't want to, though I hear _Leroy Jethro Gibbs_ when I'm in trouble. Or if she's teasing me."

"I've heard _Anthony_ on occasion. Then I know I'm in trouble."

"It was just a thought. So you know that when we're out of work, like this, I'm not your boss."

"I know. Force of habit, I guess."

"S'ok." The doorbell rang and Gibbs dislodged himself from Tony and went to pay for the pizza. He dropped the box on the coffee table and went to grab some paper towels before they dug in. When the pizza was polished off, Gibbs pulled Tony back against him, happy to have the warmth of another person, and they flipped channels until they agreed on watching a rerun of a baseball game they'd missed.

Tony was a little stiff at first, suddenly aware at just how close they were really sitting, but soon the comfort of Gibbs arm around him won out and he relaxed. He tensed momentarily when Gibbs fingers started massaging his neck, but again the comfort won out and he relaxed.

By ten o'clock, both were stifling yawns. When Gibbs worked free of Tony to stand, Tony frowned at the loss of contact and then sat up quickly hoping Gibbs hadn't seen what Tony hadn't noticed until now. During the course of the game, the massage had relaxed Tony considerably, and part of Tony had decided to take notice.

Gibbs didn't seem to notice the bulge in the front of Tony's pants as he cleaned up and headed for the kitchen.

"I'm just gonna take a quick shower." Tony called out as he grabbed his bag from foot of the stairs.

"Yeah, okay."

Once in the bathroom, Tony let out a sigh of relief. He turned on the water and stepped under the hot spray, sighing as he stretched his neck from side to side. His cock was still rock hard, and bobbing up against his belly. Tony squirted a bit of soap into his hand and grasped his erection, pulling and twisting just the way he liked until he came with a quiet gasp. He washed the evidence of his actions down the drain and quickly finished washing. Now he wouldn't have to worry about hiding anything when they crawled into bed.

Gibbs was already in bed, but his hair was wet, so Tony gathered he'd showered in a different bathroom. He pulled back the covers and slid his legs under the soft sheets. As soon as the bedside light was off, Gibbs reached for him and he moved closer.

"Night Tony." Gibbs pressed a kiss to his cheek, letting his lips linger until Tony turned his face toward him, catching him in a kiss on the lips. Gibbs hesitated a moment before opening to Tony's kiss. He hadn't really thought beyond the fact that they were a little, albeit odd family group. But when he thought about how he'd pulled Tony to him both in bed and down on the couch, and how he'd grown to care for him since he'd returned, he decided to go with the kiss, seeing where it led them.

Their kiss was slow as they tested each other, not wanting to push for anything that the other wasn't interested in. As the kiss came to a natural end, Tony started to pull away. "Sorry, I don't know what-"

"Shh, s'ok. I wouldn't have kissed you back if I didn't want to." Gibbs leaned forward again for a soft kiss to show that he was at ease with the situation.

Tony moaned and moved eagerly toward the old man, wrapping his arms around him to keep him close. Despite his earlier actions in the bathroom, Tony found that more than his brain was taking interest in Gibbs.

"Wait, wait…" Gibbs pulled away. "We can't do this."

"Oh God, I'm sorry, I don't even-"

"It's not that I don't want to Tony." He reached down and gave his growing erection a squeeze. "Because I really do, but we need to wait."

"That's fine Gibbs. It's okay."

Gibbs lay quietly on his back and once he figured out what he was trying to say, he turned to face Tony. "For so long it was Abbs and I. And then it was you and Abby and now us? If this is going to work, it needs to be the three of us. Together. If this is just us needing comfort… I'm not interested."

"I…"

"Just think about it Tony. It's up to you."

* * *

><p>The next day, Gibbs and Tony spent the morning preparing for Abby's arrival. While Gibbs changed the sheets, washed the dishes and went to the grocery store to stock up on her favorite foods, Tony went to both his and Abby's apartments to grab what they would need for the next few days. By 11 they were ready to head in to the hospital.<p>

Gibbs went in first and Tony hung back as he approached the bed.

Abby's eyes fluttered open and she looked right at Gibbs. "Who're you?"

Gibbs ignored her comment (and the sharp intake of breath from Tony behind him) and sat on the edge of the bed before leaning forward to kiss her.

When Abby's hand slipped around the back of Gibbs' neck, Tony let out a sigh and slumped against the door frame and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sorry Tony," Abby pulled back from Gibbs but left her hand on his shoulder. "Shouldn't have teased like that."

"S'ok," he moved closer and sat on the chair beside her bed. "How'd you know she was faking, boss?"

"Could see it in her eyes. And she smiled just before I kissed her."

"Can we go yet?" Abby was halfway out of bed before Gibbs could stop her.

"Tony checked with the nurse before we came in. We're just waiting on one last look from the doctor and then we can go." For being a man who despised spending any amount of time in a hospital, he wanted to be damn sure that it was safe for her to leave.

The doctor was only moments behind them and took a look at her chart. "Well, everything looks good to me. Just be sure to mention if you start having headaches or anything unusual. And give us a call if anyone around you notices a change in behavior."

"Trust me. You'll get a call from these two if I so much as frown."

The doctor laughed, "well, better safe than sorry. But they seem pretty level headed. We've had requests for oxygen tanks and monitors, so…"

Abby missed the flash of guilt on both Tony and Gibbs' faces.

* * *

><p>Abby was thrilled when they pulled up outside Gibbs' house. The rest of the team was already there and lunch was prepared. Jimmy stood with a 'welcome home' sign despite the fact that it wasn't her home, not really, but no one mentioned it.<p>

"Timmy?" Abby pulled him aside in Gibbs' kitchen. "I don't blame you, no one does."

"You didn't see them Abby, if they could've killed me and gotten away with it, they would have."

"They were scared, they know you'd never put me in danger purposefully. They lashed out at you because you were there. They don't hate you and they don't blame you. And more importantly, I don't either." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Really Timmy, I don't."

"Everything okay in here?" Tony leaned against the door frame and watched as Abby gave McGee a hug.

"Yeah, we're good. I was just telling him that no one blames him for what happened. It wasn't his fault." She sent Tony a look that said he'd better agree, _or else._

"You're still thinking about that?" Tony stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder, the confidence in his voice covering the fact that the only reason he'd found them in the kitchen was because he didn't know where Abby was and he'd fought a sense of worry the past five minutes until he'd managed to excuse himself to go look. "Come on, we're over it. We know you'd never try to hurt her."

"See?" Abby smiled widely at Tim.

"Yeah, yeah." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe Gibbs won't fire me."

"Nah, then he'd have to train someone new," Tony teased. "We've put too much effort into you."

"Tony…" Abby rolled her eyes, but was glad McGee took it as the joke it was rather than be offended. "You need something?" Abby went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, the reason she'd come to the kitchen in the first place.

"Nope, just seeing what you were up too. You were taking too long and I was curious."

"And by curious, you mean worried, right?" Abby set her water on the counter and wrapped her arms around Tony's waist. "You don't have to worry anymore, I'm okay. Doctors wouldn't have let me leave if I wasn't. Even Ducky says I'm fine now."

"I know." He leaned in for a chaste kiss and then stepped away before she could do anything. "Come on, people are here to see you."

"But I want to be with you," she fought a yawn and followed Tony back to the living room where the rest of the team was.

By mid-afternoon Gibbs kicked everyone out, except Tony, who claimed he was sticking around to help clean up – which he did. They sent Abby up to shower and change knowing that it would be an early night. Nearly every time they looked at her she was fighting a yawn.

"Come with me?" She asked, wanting someone to stand with her in the shower and hold her close.

"Gonna finish up down here." Gibbs turned her toward the stairs and sent her on her way.

After a quick shower, Abby rummaged through Gibbs' drawers for a shirt to wear having found that half the clothes that Tony had grabbed for her weren't anything she wanted to wear. She found an old shirt she had borrowed before and slipped it on. It fell to mid-thigh, and she decided it was good enough. No one else would be stopping by (Gibbs had been stricter with visiting hours than the hospital) and she just wanted to cuddle with her boys. She turned and gasped when she saw Gibbs standing in the doorway watching her. She rushed forward into his arms and inhaled deeply, the scent of saw dust and old spice instantly putting her at ease.

She tilted her head up for a kiss, whispering how much she had missed him against his lips. Sliding her hands under his shirt, she sought out his body heat to comfort her, but was surprised when he pulled away.

Three times now they had both shied away from her advances in the short time they'd been home. "What the hell?"

"Abbs-"

"No, I don't get it. I want to touch you, both of you," she added when Tony appeared behind Gibbs. "But every time I try, you've push me away. I just want to be held, I want to feel your skin against mine so that I _know_ I'm alive, but you won't let me!" Abby turned to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

"Was mood swings one of things to watch out for?" Tony whispered.

"I _heard _that."

Tony cringed and took the head-slap like a man, mouthing a silent apology.

"Abbs," Gibbs reached out to try the door handle, but wasn't surprised to find it locked. So he lowered himself to the floor leaning against the door. "I need you to listen to me, okay?" When he didn't get a response, he continued. "Seeing you half dead… I can't get it out of my mind. It's not that I don't want you, or don't want to touch you; I just can get over how fragile you looked. I don't want to hurt you. I need to see that you're okay."

"You won't hurt me," came her muffled reply.

"I know."

The lock clicked and the door opened and Gibbs found himself wrapped in a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I know it wasn't easy on you. Either of you," she glanced up at Tony. "But I don't want to be treated like I'm weak, I could kick either of your asses and you know it."

"Maybe we could meet somewhere in the middle. You don't leave our sight and we won't make you wear bubble wrap and an oxygen tank." Tony sat on the edge of the bed and grinned at her, the smile on Gibbs' face not going unnoticed. "Okay, so I'm only kind of kidding. But tell us what you want Abby."

Abby muffled a yawn against the back of her hand. Even though she'd been in the hospital she hadn't slept well. "I just want to curl up with the both of you, and I'm sorry if my hands wander under your shirt, but I saw the light in the damn car. I need to be sure that I've really got you here, both of you."

"I can do that, can you do that boss?" Tony stood and pulled Abby off the floor before offering a hand to Gibbs.

"Might need some coffee, but I suppose I could."

"Should be ready by now, I planned ahead." Tony led them all down to the living room. "You both want a cup?"

"Not me," Abby yawned and pulled Gibbs to the couch waiting long enough for him to sit before collapsing beside him and snuggling up close. "It was really scary, Gibbs. I couldn't breathe and I was yelling for McGee…"

Gibbs held her a little tighter and peppered a few kisses across her forehead. "Safe now."

"I know." Her hand slipped under his shirt and landed on his chest, just above his heart, the steady thump-thump of his heartbeat beating against her palm.

Tony carried two coffee cups in a few minutes later and sat down on the other side of Abby. "Tired her out already?"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"She's asleep."

Gibbs chuckled. "I thought she was being awfully quiet."

Tony smiled and reached out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "After seeing her on the floor like that, I have the urge to wake her to make sure she's only sleeping, not passed out."

"Wake at your own risk," Gibbs murmured against the top of her head.

"I guess I'd like to remain in one piece." His hand cupped her cheek and then moved down her neck. "And she's got a pulse."

"She's okay Tony, we almost lost her, but she's tough. A lot tougher than either of us give her credit for."

"I know." Tony looked down and swirled is coffee around. "Uh, Gibbs?"

Gibbs didn't answer, just looked up and rested his chin on Abby's head.

"I was thinking about what you said last night, and uh, I think that I think the three of us would be pretty awesome together," he said nervously.

"So do I. We'll talk to Abby tomorrow. I think we should all call it an early night tonight – and I think she's beat us to it."

"When we're done with our coffee, I can carry her upstairs. We don't have to wake her."

They finished their coffee quietly, listening to the soft sounds of Abby breathing. When they finished, Tony eased Abby up off Gibbs and carried her up to bed while Gibbs cleaned up. The moment she was under the covers she pulled the pillow Tony considers _his_ close and curled around it. "Gee, thanks," he laughed quietly.

"Mmm, you can have it back when you come to bed," she mumbled sleepily.

"Alright," Tony whispered. "I'll be back soon." He kissed her and ran his fingers through her hair before going to the bathroom to get ready. He was first to crawl in bed with her, happy to have a few minutes alone to hold her, tell her he loved her and when she lifted her head sleepily to look at him, take the opportunity to smother her with kisses.

"Thought we were calling it an early night, and how you're trying to wake her up?" Gibbs said from the doorway.

"I can't help it."

When Abby let out a jaw-popping yawn, Gibbs chuckled. "Seems like someone is immune to your charm." He hit the light switch and made his way through the darkened room to the bed. Once his eyes adjusted, the soft glow of the moon was enough for him to see Tony and Abby curled up. He stripped to his underwear, and pulled back the covers. He was barely settled when an Abby-shape lump curled up to him, her nose pressed against his shoulder. "Back to sleep, Abbs."

"Mm, night Gibbs." Abby smiled against his lips when he turned to kiss her.

"Night."

Keeping Gibbs' arm around her, Abby turned to kiss Tony. "Night."

"Sweet dreams, darlin'. Night boss."

"Night."

Tony debated a moment before he leaned over Abby and pressed a kiss to Gibbs' lips, holding the older man steady until he felt him respond. When he finally let go and pulled away, he blushed at the whistle that came from Abby. "That was _hot_, you boys have something to share?"

"_Goodnight,_ Abby," they said together and she found herself with a kiss to each cheek.

* * *

><p>TBC…<p>

One part left!


	7. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

As she slowly drifted toward consciousness, Abby found her ability to breathe greatly diminished, but as she opened her eyes she understood why. Tony was sprawled across her, his chest almost completely covering hers, the weight of his body making her attempt at taking a deep breath almost impossible. "Tony…"

"Hmmm…" He nuzzled against her neck, but made no effort to move.

"Can't… breathe…"

"What?" Tony pushed himself off and was out the bedroom door in a flash, returning moments later with oxygen tank and mask in hand, pressing the mask over her face before Abby could object. "Don't just sit there!" He shouted at Gibbs who sat back against the headboard, his brow raised. He'd been awake for a while, but had chosen to stay in bed, flipping through a woodworking catalog until the other two woke.

Abby stared up at Tony with wide eyes as he held the mask firmly over her mouth and nose.

"Breathe deep, baby. Breathe deep."

"Do 'ave 'en 'econds do get 'dis off me."

"What?" Tony pulled the mask away so he could hear her more clearly.

Abby scooted up and look at Gibbs and then back to Tony. "I couldn't breathe because you were on top of me. What the hell is this..?" She motioned to the mask.

"Oh…" Tony gave a guilty smile and then sobered. "Gibbs made me do it! He told me to get it and hide it in the closet."

"You guys!"

"Well, just think… if you hadn't gotten bubble butt off of you, you might've needed it."

"Hey!" Tony glared at Gibbs and then at Abby. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Yeah, well… you hid an oxygen tank in the closet. I think we're even!"

"Don't be mad, babe." Tony set the oxygen tank and mask on the ground, straddled Abby's hips and leaned forward to nibble along her neck affectionately.

"If you guys can't relax I'm going back to my place, _alone_."

"No you're not." Tony continued to nibble along her collar bone, stretching the neck of the t-shirt as far as it would go. "You want to stay here, with me. With us."

"Tony," Abby wriggled below him, having forgotten about the kiss the two men had shared, and she felt uncomfortable with so much physical attention in front of Gibbs. For the most part she had tried to keep the physical stuff for when she was alone with one of them.

"Hmm?" He slipped his hand under her shirt and ran his fingers up and down her side.

"Tony, wait. I…" She was quickly approaching the point where she didn't care if Gibbs was uncomfortable being in the same room with them.

"Gibbs doesn't care," Tony lifted his head to look at Gibbs. "Do you?"

Abby glanced over at Gibbs and was surprised to see the lust in his eyes and, despite the sheets pulled up to his waist, the obvious bulge. When he reached out and touched her cheek she nuzzled against his palm.

"Go ahead Abbs."

"Wait… wait." Abby struggled out from under Tony and sat against the headboard beside Gibbs. "You two want to fill me in? I feel like I missed a conversation or two."

"Seriously? _Now?_ Can't we talk later?" Abby had never been one to need to talk much and Tony liked that about her. And now that he'd gotten started, he _needed_ her.

"Yes, now."

"Abbs… I have feelings for DiNozzo." No grand gesture, no fluff, nothing fancy.

"You do?" Abby and Tony both looked at Gibbs, Tony's eyes wide with shock and a happy little smirk on Abby's face.

"I wouldn't be interested if I didn't, like I told you the other night. I'm not interested if you just need a little comfort Tony." Gibbs answered honestly.

"I... I just thought…" Tony wasn't sure what he thought.

"Thought what, I'd be willing to give it a try for Abby's sake? Nah. I wouldn't have kissed you back the other night."

"Ok, seriously, what did I miss while I was in the hospital? And Tony," she punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Shame on you for thinking Gibbs would play you, or do something like _kiss_ you to try and secure his place with me."

"It's not that… I just… I dunno." Tony ran his hand through his hair. His first instinct in any sort of tense emotional situation was to run. His second instinct was to joke about it. He opened his mouth to reference a movie he was sure Gibbs had never seen when Abby reached out and took his hand to stopped him.

"Don't Tony. Don't say anything. Just accept that more people than just me care about you." She gave his hand a squeeze and then looked at Gibbs. "So how is this going to work?"

"A lot like it is now, if this is going to work, it's going to be the three of us. Together. I'm not interested in a separate relationship with each of you."

"Good, because I'm not okay with that. But no, I was uh… more or less referring to logistics. You know… here…. In bed."

"Not something we've discussed." Gibbs answered honestly.

"I mean, I'm assuming you guys will go _all the way_ and that's totally hot. And I'm assuming that Tony is catching, because… well, I don't see _that_ happening with Gibbs. Sorry Tony," she added.

"Abb-"

"And I understand if your first time you want to be alone… or maybe I could sit in the corner. I promise I'd be quiet and you wouldn't even know I'm here."

"Abby!" Gibbs raised his voice slightly to quiet her. If she got too much on a roll, they'd spend the day listening to her without the chance to comment. "I meant what I said about it being the three of us. No one is being left out."

"And I… I don't know how far I want to go… how far I'm willing to take it. Heh, pun somewhat intended." Tony chuckled nervously.

"Tony," Gibbs reached out and picked up his other hand. "It's okay. We'll figure it out as we go, okay? Anything makes you uncomfortable, you say so and we'll stop. Same goes for you Abby."

Abby laughed. "Yeah right, like there is anything you two would do to make me feel uncomfortable in a way that I would want to stop." The look on Gibbs' face told her he wasn't taking this lightly. "But uh yeah, okay. Same for me," she agreed.

"Good." Gibbs smiled and tugged on a lock of her hair to show he was pleased that she was taking him serious.

"Kiss."

"Huh?" Both men looked at Abby.

"I said kiss. You know, smooch… Show me that you've meant everything you just said." She crossed her arms in front of her, her brows raised as she waited.

Gibbs was still a moment before moving his hand up Tony's arm until he could wrap his hand around the back of the younger man's neck and pull him in for a kiss. It wasn't with quite the urgency as their first kiss, but as Tony relaxed Gibbs' knew he'd been right to start off a little slower.

"Mmmm…" Abby sighed happily as they kissed right in front of her. "That is _so_ hot. I think I just might have my first orgasm of the day from the sight of you two."

"No you won't." Gibbs pulled away from Tony so he could pull Abby in for a bruising kiss. "You let _us_ take care of you."

"Oh… but you are." Abby melted against him and pressed her face to his neck, hiding her grin. Never had she thought things would work out the way they were.

Tugging at the hem of the shirt she was wearing, Tony moved in closer. "Can I take this off and get back to what I was doing?"

"I think that's a good idea." Gibbs added and helped Tony pull the shirt over her head. He reached out and cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb over her soft skin. "My beautiful girl."

"Our beautiful girl," Tony corrected with a grin just before pressing his lips to her bare shoulder. "_Our._"

Gibbs rolled his eyes but a small smirk eased the sarcasm in his voice. "How do you put up with him?" he asked.

"Just wait…" Abby purred and ran her fingers through Tony's hair, pulling him in for a kiss. "He's pretty amazing. But then again, so are you."

"You say that to all the guys you meet?" Tony circled his finger around her nipple, watching it harden before repeating the process to the other one.

"Only the ones that are super amazing. You, Gibbs… the landscape-ah!" Abby doubled over and leaned into Gibbs when Tony started tickling her ribs. Gibbs helped her to lay down and stretched out beside her as Tony finished tickling. He pulled her back against his chest, kissing out along her shoulder and then up along her neck to nibble at her ear while Tony traced his favorite path between her breasts, down over her stomach, pausing to pay attention to her naval before parting her thighs.

He took his time with the creamy white flesh of her inner thighs knowing just how much it made her squirm. He wasn't much for marking her elsewhere, didn't want others to see something special between them, but he loved to lavish attention on the inner side of her thigh. He would see it the next day as she dressed and smile at the thought of his face buried between her legs and then as the mark faded he could do it all over again.

He grinned when he felt Abby's finger slide into his hair and direct him exactly where she wanted him. He could hear Gibbs whispering how beautiful she was and how much he loved and adored her and every little thing he wanted to do to her just as soon as Tony had his turn. Tony was almost humping the mattress in search of friction at Gibbs' words and he couldn't decide what he wanted more - Gibbs to do naughty things to him or to watch him with Abby. Both sounded appealing.

He nibbled at her soaked flesh and did _that thing_ that she loved with his fingers until she writhing against Gibbs, begging for release.

"Not yet, babe." Tony pulled away. "I can't always be selfish since it's three of us now." Covering her thighs with kisses, he continued, "I'm sure Gibbs wants in on some fun so I can't wear you out all at once." He moved back up her body, pausing to lavish attention to her breasts. When he finally pushed into her, he leaned over her shoulder to kiss Gibbs, giving a little moan of approval when Gibbs wrapped his arms around the both of them

She could feel Gibbs' erection trapped against her back as Tony pushed into her, pushing her back against the older man. "Oh God."

Tony silenced her with a kiss.

Gibbs repeatedly kissed along her shoulder and up the column of her neck, turning to face toward his to steal a kiss when Tony pulled away briefly.

"Come on, baby…" Tony traced the spider web on her neck with his tongue as he continued to push into her. When Gibbs eased himself away from them, Tony pushed her onto her back and pushed her legs up onto his shoulders, and set a pace he knew would have her over the edge in seconds. As soon as she cried out, Tony pulled away, flopping down beside her, willing himself not to come. It was his first opportunity for sex with Gibbs and he wanted to see what the other man could do.

"Boss?" It was then that he noticed Gibbs wasn't in the room and panic started to step in.

"I'm right here," Gibbs said, stepping back into the room. "Needed a _moment._" He glanced down at his dick. It wasn't soft by any means, but he knew that if he didn't get a grip on himself soon, he was going to lose his load against Abby's back and it wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind.

"Yeah," Tony grinned. "All I need is the sound of her voice. Remind me to show you this movie we've got…" He glanced back at Abby and bent to kiss her.

"I… I need a minute or two…" She panted heavily

"We're not going anywhere," Gibbs sat on the edge of the bed beside Tony and saw that Tony was still rock hard. "You need a little help with that?"

The soft, almost unguarded smile that accompanied Gibbs' words made Tony's stomach flip-flop. He wasn't sure how much Gibbs would want to be with him their first night together.

"Boss will you…. I want you to make me come." Tony blushed at his own request, his words sounding weak to his own ears. "Please?"

Gibbs nodded. Unsure of what exactly Tony wanted, he asked.

"I… I think I want you to fuck me." It was a big turnaround from how he had felt earlier, but now he knew what he wanted. He craved that intimate connection that he had when he was with Abby when he was in her. He wanted Gibbs in him.

"You think?" Gibbs ran a hand up and down Tony's arm. This wasn't something he wanted the younger man to take lightly. "That's not good enough Tony. We'll take our time. There are other ways we-"

"No," Tony interrupted, grabbing Gibbs' hand. "I want you to. I'm sure. Just… just go slow. I've never… I've wanted to. I've wanted _you_ to, but I've never…" Tony let out a heavy sigh. "I just don't know what I'm doing, I don't want to disappoint."

"Tony," Gibbs cupped the younger man's face in his hands and everything he wanted to say was understood with just one look. "You want to stop, you say something, okay? There are plenty of other things that I can do. That I _want _to do. So if it's too much, we do something else, okay?"

"I know."

Gibbs leaned in and kissed him gently and then turned to look at Abby. "Abbs, you okay?" He ran a warm hand up and down her thigh.

"Mmm. I'm good," she smiled warmly, her eyes still shut.

"You got-"Gibbs started.

"Bottom of my make-up bag, in the bathroom under the sink on the right."

"Thanks." He squeezed her knee and then moved off the bed and headed for the bathroom. Leaving the bathroom door open, he glanced at the reflection of Tony and Abby in the bathroom mirror, both naked and looking quite comfortable in his bed. Tony gazing down at her, a content smile on his face, the smile growing bigger at whatever Abby was saying to him. Gibbs refocused on his task and returned to the bed.

"What were you… _oh._" Tony saw the lube in Gibbs' hand. "Wait, why was that in your make-up bag?"

Abby sat up and rolled her eyes. "You might quote all of Gibbs' rules, but I follow them. Always be prepared. But we should probably start keeping that stuff in the night stand. You know, quicker access."

"Do I even want to know what else you've got in your make up bag?"

"You two done?" Gibbs grabbed a condom from his bedside and knelt back on the bed. "Or should I go make myself another cup of coffee?"

"All yours, boss." Tony wiggled his hips and his eyebrows.

"You sure?"

The amount of concern in Gibbs' eyes made Tony all the more sure. He'd done a little research online ever since Abby had suggested it back in the shower (just out of curiosity, of course), and he trusted Gibbs to take care of him. "Positive."

"Lay on your stomach then."

"But I want to see you." Tony frowned.

"You will, but I need to prep you. Want you nice and relaxed. Maybe Abbs will work her magic on your shoulders, help get you comfortable." Gibbs motioned for him to lay on his stomach.

Abby gave a sloppy salute and straddled Tony's lower back, giving Gibbs plenty of room and making it easy to work the tension from Tony's shoulders. "Sheesh, Tony… you've got some serious tension going on."

"Nnngh…" Tony groaned when her fingers hit an exceptionally tense knot. "Maybe if you'd stay out of harm's way, I wouldn't be so tense."

Gibbs was going to ask one last time if Tony was sure, but at the seeing how involved he was with Abby's massage, Gibbs decided against it, instead massaging the man's thighs and perfectly rounded ass. _Bubble butt,_ Gibbs smiled to himself. Tony tensed briefly under his touch, but then relaxed.

Tony was torn between Abby's skilled hands, kneading the tension from his shoulders and Gibbs' strong hands as they massaged his thighs and butt. He knew where the older man was headed, he just didn't know when. Eventually he felt Gibbs' fingers move between his cheeks, just gently touching him, and then his touch was gone. He heard the tell-tale sign of the cap snapping open on the lube and he tried to keep himself as relaxed as possible as he waited for Gibb's fingers to return.

He tensed briefly when Gibbs' finger pushed at his entrance and then forced himself to relax. "Sorry," he mumbled against the pillow under his head.

"Easy, Tony," Gibbs soothed, running a gentle hand along his thigh.

The lube was still a little cold despite Gibbs' efforts to warm it up, but Tony forced himself to stay as relaxed as possible as Gibbs slowly worked a finger inside of him.

"You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He felt Abby shift off of him and he reached out to her, smiling when she stretched out beside him and snuggled up – welcoming his kisses with relaxed passion.

Abby's kisses seemed to do the trick and Gibbs soon had two fingers into him with no problem and it wasn't long until Tony was shifting around on the bed in search of friction for his cock.

"Tony," Gibbs tapped his hip. "Turn over."

Tony did what Gibbs asked of him and spread his legs wide giving the man room to kneel between them.

"Are-"

"If you ask me if I'm sure one more time, I'm going to… I don't know, but it won't be pretty." Tony said through gritted teeth.

"I was going to ask if you were comfortable. A pillow under your hips might be good."

Tony ignored Abby's giggle and reached for a pillow, handing it to Gibbs with a sheepish look on his face. He lifted his hips and Gibbs helped him to get comfortable. He watched as Gibbs rolled a condom on and then lubed himself. Tony dropped his head back and closed his eyes, the anxiety he had first felt popping up again. He expected to feel Gibbs pushing against his opening, but was surprised when Gibbs leaned over him to kiss him first.

"This isn't something I'm doing to you Tony, we're doing this together."

Tony returned the kiss. "I know. Now hurry."

Gibbs smirked and sat back, pushing the head of his cock against Tony and easing himself in. Tony was tight – very tight – and Gibbs had to control himself so that he didn't thrust into him the way he so desperately wanted. He eased himself in gently, his eyes hooded as he kept watch on Tony's face, looking for any sign of discomfort.

By the time he bottomed out in Tony, Gibbs had broken a sweat. "Ya okay?"

"Perfect. Feels so… _good_."

"That's what we're aiming for." Gibbs pulled out slightly and pushed back in again, groaning at the vice-like grip Tony had on him.

"Never… ugh," Tony gritted his teeth when Gibbs nudged his sweet spot. "Never thought you'd be in to guys."

"I'm not gay, DiNozzo," He didn't need no damn title. He was Gibbs and that's all he needed to be.

"So it's just me?"

"Just you."

Abby's sultry laugh permeated the room. "Hey guys, what about me?"

Gibbs raked his eyes along her naked body and curled his finger, beckoning her closer. "Well yeah, Abbs, that goes without saying. Without you, I wouldn't have my dick up his ass." He gave a rolling thrust, cutting off any reply Tony might've had and reached out for her.

Abby crawled closer and shared a kiss with Gibbs before moving behind him and pressing her warm body against his back, kissing along his shoulders.

Every time Tony reached for his cock to help himself along, Gibbs pushed his hands away. Finally, when he knew he couldn't hold out much longer he motioned for Abby to help Tony out.

The minute her slender fingers wrapped around him and twisted and pulled in just the right way, Tony knew he was a goner. One minute he was grunting and moaning and the next minute he felt his own come splashing across his belly and chest.

He noted the absence of Gibbs as soon as he pulled out but he was so lost in his own pleasure he hardly noticed Gibbs removing the condom he'd worn and didn't notice the mattress dip as Gibbs lay beside him. But as soon as his thoughts cleared he could hear Abby panting and moaning. He lifted his head and smiled at the sight of Abby straddling Gibbs, her hips rocking against his fast enough that he knew she'd come against soon. And judging by the look on Gibbs face, he wasn't far off either.

It was just like he'd imagined, the two of them together. The sparks coming off of them in ways Tony couldn't describe. He knew instantly that the night Gibbs fucked Abby first, he would come without either of them touching him – but hey, voyeurism has its perks, he decided.

Returning the favor that Abby had bestowed on him earlier, Tony rolled onto his side and pressed his fingers gently against Abby's clit, causing her smooth rhythm to falter.

"Again," she moaned.

"Tell me when, boss." he looked to the older man, grinning at the intense look of both focus and pleasure on his face.

Gibbs waited a few moments, lost in the sight of Abby's breasts bouncing in his face. "Now, Tony. Now."

Tony touched her again, his fingers pressing and rubbing over her clit. As soon as she shuddered through her release, Gibbs rolled her over and pushed into her twice more before growling against her shoulder, his hips stalling mid-thrust as he came. He lowered himself gently and pressed his face to her neck as his breathing slowed. He tried to move completely off of her but Abby held tight, keeping him close while at the same time pulling Tony in as well.

"Don't think I've ever felt so loved in my entire life," Abby sighed happily, sinking further into the mattress as she pulled both men in as close as possible, a wide grin on her face.

* * *

><p>It took two hours before they managed to get out of bed. Gibbs was content to pull his fingers through Abby's hair and watch as his two lovers dozed off and on. Every so often his thoughts would drift back to pulling an unconscious Abby out of the car and his gut would twist. He had come so damn close to losing her, to losing everything.<p>

"You look worried, you don't regret…?" Tony stretched and pushed himself up to sit against the headboard beside Gibbs, Abby stretched between their legs, he head resting on Gibbs' thigh, her arms wrapped around his leg.

"No. I don't regret anything." He leaned in to kiss Tony, both as a way to reassure the younger man and as a way to comfort himself. "Was just thinking."

Tony nodded. "Understandable. The last few days, everything… it's been a lot. But if we don't let it go, the part about her in the hospital, we're going to drive her away. She's a lot like you in that aspect, she doesn't want people fussing over her."

"I'm trying," Gibbs growled.

"I know, and you're doing a good job. But maybe… let's go out today and do something fun. Something to help you forget about everything."

Gibbs shook his head. "I think I need some time in the basement."

"Come on," Tony rolled his eyes. "You can't hide-"

"It's okay," Abby yawned. "If he needs some solo time with the boat, that's his way of coping. We can still go do something fun." She smiled when Gibbs' fingers tightened in her hair and Tony's hand dropped to brush against her cheek. It wasn't often that Gibbs voiced his needs, so if he asked for time alone, Abby was willing to respect it. It was when he pushed her away silently that she worried.

"Thanks."

They eventually made it downstairs for a late breakfast and it wasn't long before Tony and Abby we're headed out. "Call if you change your mind and want to meet up with us." Abby kissed his cheek and gave him a big smile before following Tony out the door.

"You sure it's a good idea to let him mope around the basement all day?" Tony asked once they were on the road. The weather was nice and they decided on a walk around the monuments, starting at the Lincoln memorial.

"Yeah. And he asked for time alone, that says a lot. Usually he'd just push us away. It's like dealing with a kid, you've got to reward his good behavior."

"Comparing the boss to a kid? I'm going to remember that and use it for blackmail."

Abby rolled her eyes. "I'm also counting on the fact that the longer we stay away, they more he'll want to see for himself that I'm still fine and he'll call and ask us to come back."

"You sneaky, sneaky brat." Tony grinned. "I clearly still have much to learn from you."

* * *

><p>Their afternoon downtown was fun and exhausting. They knew they could go back to Gibbs, but when Abby told Tony that she was hoping he would call and ask for them to come back, he refused to suggest they go back. It was almost a game. <em>Almost.<em>

"Coffee? My feet are getting tired."

"Yeah," Abby muffled a yawn. She'd slept well the night before, but the combination of two nights in a hospital, their earlier morning activities and the hours they had just spent walking around downtown meant she was bordering on exhausted.

They sat together toward the back of the coffee shop, sitting close and enjoying each other's company. Tony was drawing lazy circles on the inside of her wrist, telling her an _unbelievable_ story from his days in school, when they were interrupted.

"The coffee at my place isn't good enough?"

"Gibbs!" Tony and Abby both sat up a little straighter, surprised to see him there.

"How did you…?"

"He missed us," Abby smiled.

"Well, it was getting late and I thought you'd have been back by now." Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, refusing to admit he'd worried.

"You could have called. We would've come right back."

"And let you drink coffee without me?" Gibbs ignored Abby's knowing smirk and Tony's laugh. He listened quietly as Tony finished his story and Abby laughed at the absurdity of it. "I don't know about you two, but I'm getting hungry. Can we go home and grab something on the way?"

"Yeah," Abby let him pull her to her feet. "Home sounds good. I'll even cook for you two."

Tony was right behind them and leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Rewarding good behavior?"

"Nah," Abby took his hand and pulled him along as they exited the coffee shop. "Just doing something nice for the guys I love."

* * *

><p>They were almost to the door when Abby paused and nudged Tony. "Hey look, I think that's the landscaper. Looks like he's on a date."<p>

"Hot chick. Blonde, nice rack… impressive."

"I was thinking-"

"Double iced latte for Meg," the barista called out, interrupting Abby.

"Yeah, look Tony, you're girlfriend and my landscaper. Guess they were tired of waiting for us."

Tony laughed and gave her a gentle shove out the door. "Come on, the boss is waiting."

* * *

><p>The end!<p>

I super hope you enjoyed this – I've been pondering a few ideas at follow up, but no ideas sticking at this point. But I'm always open for ideas.

Thanks again for reading!


End file.
